Quick Hitters:: Georgia Anne Muldrow - Ms. One & The Gang

Remember when you could find the occasional hip hop album that felt like you were listening to good old fashioned soul music when you played it? Seems a little harder to find these days, but folks like ATCQ, Slum Village, and The Roots just had an unmistakeably soulful vibe running through their albums. Well if you're missing that vibe in your hip hop, I think I know where you can turn: Georgia Anne Muldrow.

This LA producer was brought to our attention by one of the premier labels to check for if you are seeking things old school and funky, Stones Throw, and I'm glad they did. Unless I'm mistaken, Ms. One & The Gang is the debut full length for Ms. Muldrow, and while she graces a few of the songs herself, for the most part she stays behind the boards (she produces and arranges every song) and leaves the vocal work to a solid roster of her friends and associates. I'm not familiar with a lot of the names, but I assume they are all active in LA's hip hop/soul scene. And there's a wealth of styles represented here, from hip hop to neo-soul (ugh, is there a more current word to use? Not sure anyone says this anymore) to spoken word, with some R&B and Reggae influence mixed in for good measure.

Despite that variety, Ms. One still feels like a cohesive unit, as Muldrow is able to craft some chunky, bass-filled head nodders that feel just right whether it's MC's like Black Milk and Big Pooh that are flowing on them (2 MC) or a Badu-esque soulstress like Jimetta Rose is doing her thing. I don't want to say that the production is the star of the show here, because all the vocalists do good work, but the beats certainly had my head nodding throughout. In fact, I can think of no better example of this than Sundaze, the G-Funk-ish beat for D-Moe's old school R&B style tribute to happy, family-filled Sundays, which I enjoy way more than I would have thought. Contrast that with Georgia's own urgent, bottom heavy anti-Bush jam-rant, Mr. President, and you have an interesting album on your hands.

I'd been meaning to get something posted on this album for a few weeks now, as the earthy, organic vibe of the production and the positivity of the lyrics makes it a perfect match for this time of year. So if your musical diet is currently in desperate need of a shot of soul, then look to the west and Georgia Anne Muldrow for your answer.

MP3:: Georgia Anne Muldrow - Mr. President
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/georgiaannemuldrow