Emanon – “Count Your Blessings… ” – [Shaman Work Recordings]

This SoCal duo drops ideas about how dropping ideas can change something. Not exactly a new hip hop angle, but MC Aloe Blacc comes across as pretty fresh and DJ Exile does interesting things with beats, so this 12″ is worth a spin. “Count Your Blessings” is as much reggae/toasting as it is hip hop/rapping. Bouncy and good. We get two versions of “The Reasons” , with the same lyrics on each but completely different backing tracks. The first version has a seasick-sounding keyboard that gets on my nerves. The “Remix” version has much cooler sounds and beats, with strange little sonic touches. Side B is all instrumental versions of the Side A tracks.