One of the many perks of being a veteran of the rap game is the robust Rolodex that inevitably comes with that. Just ask boom-bap producer Amadeus360, who’s worked with everyone from Kool G Rap to Paul Wall since coming up in the ’90s under the mentorship of Kid Capri.
Now, after a pair of pandemic-era collaborative LPs alongside East Coast emcees Termanology and Ruste Juxx, the beatmaker is cashing in on some favors with his massive new record The MPC Jedi, an 18-track collection stuffed with endless guest verses.
Over the course of an hour, a dizzying number of familiar voices from iconic ’90s boom-bap and hardcore hip-hop releases take the mic, including Masta Ace, M.O.P. and Ras Kass, as well as members of Black Moon, Heltah Skeltah, and Onyx—all of whom feel perfectly at home spitting over an Amadeus360 beat.
Meanwhile, up-and-coming emcee Lil Dee holds things down for the younger generation of rappers picking up the torch, pairing perfectly with fellow Coney Islander Nems on the track “Set It Off” with both vocalists feeling equally synced to the record’s production.
The result is quite an earful, and the type of record that necessitates countless re-listens to process not only the dense lyricism but also the intricacies of the beats that back it.
With the project out now also comes a new video on the album track “How The Block Sound” featuring M.O.P. and Ras Kass.