J.Rocc is one of the founding members of The Beat Junkies, has put out numerous projects on Stones Throw, and is just an all around West Coast legend when it comes to deejaying/producing. Most recently, he released a gospel-themed collection of instrumental hip hop called Beatitudes. Now he’s back with another instrumental collection, “Original Music.”

It’s funny, because by putting the title in quotes, J.Rocc seems to be making a tongue-in-cheek commentary about people’s outdated ideas of sample-based production not being “real music,” whatever that means. But as you make your way through this EP, you really get a sense of what a veteran producer like J.Rocc can do with a sample, making seven tracks of beats with incredible variety and inventive takes on how to flip some samples. Over the course of this EP, you get everything from old school hip hop to electro boogie to disco and beyond, all flowing together perfectly and creating a nice musical dialogue from start to finish. On top of that, J.Rocc is taking the time to not only craft some killer riffs that will stay in your head, but he’s also developing these tracks so that you’re not just sitting on groove and growing bored over the a few minutes. In fact, the last two track on the EP really make the case for J.Rocc as a house producer, slowly layering and developing the tracks to keep the groove going and keep your ears engaged and your feet moving. It’s exactly the type of well-rounded and high quality release you want from someone who’s been at this as long as J.Rocc has.

“Original Music” seems pretty straightforward, and to a certain extent it is. However, when you’re dealing with someone who’s been in the game as long as J.Rocc, these simple EPs turn into some really interesting musical journeys, taking some unexpected twists and turns along the way, and creating some compelling musical dialogues.