The Magnificent

1	The Magnificent 3:40
2	Shake It Off / Chef Word 4:40
3	For da Love of da Game / Baby Blak 3:49
4	Worldwide 4:33
5	How I Do / Cy Young 4:32
6	Break It Down 4:26
7	Musik Lounge / Oddisee 4:20
8	Rock Wit U / Erro 3:52
9	Scram 5:15
10	My People 4:13
11	Know Ur Hood 5:07
12	Love Saviour 4:09
13	Mystery Man 3:25
14	We Are 4:20
15	A Charmed Life 5:15
16	We Live in Philly 6:36
17	In Time 6:19

All Music Guide

It's easy to consider DJ Jazzy Jeff an old-school head, by simple virtue of his not being very active in the rap mainstream during the past ten years -- unlike the former Fresh Prince. Granted his first solo shot by BBE (the British beat ambassadors responsible for great hip-hop mixes by Pete Rock and Kenny Dope, among others), Jeff keeps it hometown, inviting a wealth of Philly names, including Shawn Stockman (from Boyz II Men), Jill Scott, and, for four tracks, Pauly Yamz and Baby Blak. And just like some of his classic hits with Will Smith, The Magnificent comes very correct with beatbox breaks, jazzy guitar and keys, lots of vocal harmonies on the choruses, and the sub-frequency, almost percussive basslines often heard on later A Tribe Called Quest LPs. For the most part, Jeff keeps to the background -- every track here has a featured vocalist -- though Pauly Yamz and Baby Blak sing his praises on the title-track opener, and J-Live gives him plenty of room for scratching on the spectacular "Break It Down." It's hard to say how long DJ Jazzy Jeff took making these tracks, though The Magnificent has an incredible range; Jeff does it all well, even when moving from soulful R&B ("Rock Wit U" with Eric Roberson) to basement hip-hop on the very next track ("Scram" with Freddie Foxxx). Those who can make it to the end -- admittedly, 17 tracks are a lot to deal with -- get treated to a fun Roy Ayers redo, "We Live in Philly," with Jill Scott playfully stretching out on a dream-time vocal performance that references plenty of Philadelphia landmarks, along with a range of Philly celebrities: Dr. J, Pooh Richardson, Maurice Cheeks, Schooly D., Frankie Beverly, and Patti LaBelle among others. John Bush

Vibe

A new-school architect, Jeff suffuses his album with a throwback vibe that recalls the early '90s work of A Tribe Called Quest, building beats from fluid guitar melodies, muted piano chords, and viscous bass lines. Oliver Wang

The Fader

The record tracks an arc from the kind of hip-hop that will go down well at Fat Beats -- intellectual rather than clubby, with MCs like J-Live and Last Emperor -- to soul, with a touch of the jazzy house that all soul DJs seem to have a secret passion for. In particular, there's a remake of Roy Ayers' "We Live in Brooklyn, Baby," voiced by Jill Scott and of course called "We Live in Philly." Ishmail Sadiq

The Fader

The record tracks an arc from the kind of hip-hop that will go down well at Fat Beats -- intellectual rather than clubby, with MCs like J-Live and Last Emperor -- to soul, with a touch of the jazzy house that all soul DJs seem to have a secret passion for. In particular, there's a remake of Roy Ayers' "We Live in Brooklyn, Baby," voiced by Jill Scott and of course called "We Live in Philly." Ishmail Sadiq