By snoadmin
Most people have heard the word “presto” but not “Presto,” as in the new underground beat maestro out of Los Angeles County.
Starting out by DJ-ing at parties and selling beats here and there, Chris “Presto” Douglas’ rise to prominence in the hip-hop world can be compared to that of Kanye West. The sound of this fresh new talent is original and can be described as smooth, underground hip-hop with a heavy jazz influence.
His latest project, “State of the Art,” was released through his own music label called Concrete Grooves. The first single off the disc is not exactly a party starter, though it does feature known underground heads Large Professor, Sadat X and O.C.
The remix of the single can also be found on the album and is a lot better than the original. However, it is also the only track on SOTA that Presto didn’t produce himself. My favorite track by far is “ON,” featuring LOWD.
Its up-tempo energy and blending of jazz with computer synthesizers makes for a great musical combination. Hip-hop’s legendary MC and producer, CL Smooth, lays down possibly his greatest lyrical effort on “Part of Greatness.”
Most evident on “Higher” and “Pour Another Glass,” Presto’s sampling ability comes within reach of the likes of J Dilla and DJ Hi-Tek. Though the beats are on point, the majority of them lack that “wow factor” most look for with new producers. The compilation is very chill and mellow, not having many songs that really would get a crowd’s hands up.
However, it does prove that hip-hop is still very much alive despite what is heard on the radio and seen on BET outlets that play watered – down garbage not considered true hip-hop to the fans. Expect more heat from this man in the future. I predict he’ll end up making some major noise in the industry in coming years.
