Apollo Brown: The Reset

Detroit-by-way-of-Grand Rapids producer Apollo Brown had his work cut out for him as soon as I glanced at the track list. He had gathered what might be the finest collection of underground boom-bap anthems and took to remixing them all. It’s for this reason that his producer-centric The Reset doesn’t lose itself in having a slew of guests. Sure, it’s hard not to get distracted by Diamond District spitting on “Streets Won’t Let Me Chill” or by Rapper Big Pooh and Black Milk on “Hungry”, but Brown has revamped these cuts with a very cohesive sound in mind. It’s a sound steeped in that gritty, raw, soul sampling production that helped make Diamond District’s In The Ruff feel like a trip back to the early ’90s. Even as some of the beats become repetitive, Brown’s The Reset fiercely displays the fact that he is another Detroit artist to watch. Be sure to keep on an eye out for his upcoming 2010 projects with Boog Brown, Daily Bread, and The Left, all of which promise some killer production.