If you had the good fortune of seeing Myk Mansun at our SXSW showcase this past March, you would have also gotten the treat of hearing Turtle hop on the mic for a few songs. A long time staple of the L.A. hip hop scene, for various reasons he’s never gotten the shine that others have. At this point in his career, though, he’s come to embrace his role – he’d rather be obsolete and make the music that he wants to make than do anything else. With that re-upping of his position in the hip hop world, Turtle joins up with Abstract Rude’s Keep The Feel Ent. to deliver The Obselitist.

Featuring beats by the likes of EQ Music, Nykwill, Rokem, and others, the album delivers on some great West Coast underground hip hop beats. Just a little weird, but they still bang and sound great with the volume turned up as you’re driving in your car. Turtle has a great flow that can move at a quick pace, but you never miss a word he says, and it never sounds labored, either. In fact, the best part of Turtle’s music is how conversational his flow is. He could be talking about coming to terms with where his music career is (side note: I love that he references Ceschi when discussing how he’s rather play a show for forty kids than a festival), discussing what he needs to do to make ends meet for his family, or talking about broader world views, such as building community and spreading peace and love. It’s the kind of skilled and complete album you’d expect out of a veteran emcee who’s comfortable in his own skin. It’s a little bit challenging, but it’s also pretty accessible. It’s an incredibly well-rounded album.

I’ll meet Turtle halfway with this album title. He’s definitely an elite emcee, but by no means should we consider him obsolete. If you’re looking for new music to bump during the holidays, look no further than the Los Angeles veteran they call Turtle.