Diplo - Florida

Although the immense artistic success of Dj Shadow and Tricky in the mid-'90s should have sparked a creative powder keg among independent-minded hip-hop producers, most of those who followed were either uninspired or rather over-inspired (i.e., slavish). Diplo, a Philadelphian by way of Mississippi and Florida, does much better than most with his debut record for Britain's Big Dada, although he also shows he's learned the lessons of the past rather too well. Florida is definitely an ambitious album, one that finds him not just attempting to take over Shadow's considerable mantle, but trying to be all things to a variety of dance genres -- rap, trip-hop, even dancehall. Read More