Moka Only is the prolific emcee/producer from Vancouver who has been releasing music since the mid ‘90s. We last heard from him back in December, when he released Martian XMAS 2018, an annual tradition. Now he comes back with another new full-length, Patina.

Moka Only has made a lot of albums over the course of his career, and apparently one of the things he likes to do to get his creative juices flowing is to go out into the woods with a thermos of coffee and take in the evolution and the nostalgia at the same time. What this means in practical terms is that Moka Only has never made an album that’s been a radical departure, but there are subtle shifts over the long term. So if you’ve listened to Moka Only over the last few years, you have a pretty good idea as to what to expect on Patina – lots of soulful midtempo boom bap, with jazz samples and a melodic flow. Over the course of eleven tracks, Moka Only takes you on this breezy, warm journey with funky beats, sarcastic comments about the music industry, and philosophical ponderings about this strange planet that we live on. It’s the type of album that you can put on and just vibe out to, and it will make for a great addition to your summer playlist. Somewhere down the line, you might be able to look back on this album and see how Moka’s sound has evolved over the years, but for right now, this just feels like another solid Moka Only album, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Moka Only knows what he’s about this far into his career, and he knows how to get inspired and get the vibes flowing. Patina brings those soulful boom bap beats and melodic flows that you’ve come to expect, and it sounds familiar from the moment you hit play.