Moka Only is a legend of the Vancouver hip hop scene, getting started in the mid-‘90s and working at a prolific pace up until the present day. One of the amazing things about the rate at which he works is that for all the tons of music that he’s already released, there is still plenty that never saw the light of day. Case in point, while we wait for the next new LP, Moka has gone back into the vaults to give us Summer 2002 Vol. 1.

For those hardcore Moka Only fans, this collection of unreleased material would have been made circa Flood. For those more casual fans, it doesn’t necessarily matter if you have this reference point, because Moka has been so consistent with his style and quality over the years. I can believe that he made this music twenty years ago, but I also would have believed him if he told us this was all brand new music. That’s because early on in his career, Moka locked into this laid back, jazzy boom bap style of production that fits his playful melodic delivery on the mic, and he’s been rocking with that ever since. Sure, there are all sorts of subtle variations from project to project, but Moka has never been the one to suddenly switch gears and drop a house record or start fucking with trap beats, for example. This is all to say that you get exactly what you expect and want from Summer 2002 Vol. 1. It’s full of great grooves, and Moka has enough room for plenty of playful rhymes and a few introspective moments as well. It’s light and breezy, and it makes for a great soundtrack to the end of summer.

Moka Only has been at this for a minute, and he’s been so consistent over the years that when there was a lull in his output, he just needed to reach into the vaults and was able to pull out enough high quality material that he had enough for not only one album, but there is promise of at least one more volume before all is said and done. Not too shabby.