DJ K.O. Album Preview

• Words: Tomas Palermo

New Jersey’s K.O., the precision-guided DJ from underground crew Street Smartz, has linked up with Shaman Work Recordings for his anticipated multi-artist offering, Picture This… An early EP leaked this week features crisp Pete Rock-style productions from K.O., Analogic, and M-phazes backing cuts from Royce 5’9”, Little Brother’s Phonte, Masta Ace, Wordsworth, and Silent Knight. If this potent three-tracker is any indication, the album is going to be absolutely classic.

In hip-hop’s '90s heyday, dope East Coast producers ruled the roost: Large Professor, Beatminerz, DJ Premier, Lord Finesse, RZA, Prince Paul, and others churned out new hip-hop blueprints every week. K.O. emulates this tradition by assembling new-school East Coast and Midwest production icons, including Buckwild, 9th Wonder, Ayatollah, Illmind, and Black Milk.

With this musical assemblage and equally talented emcees aboard, it doesn’t sound boastful when K.O. explains on his MySpace page that he’s “compiled an album with a mixtape mentality that is rumored to pick up where the Soundbombing series left off.”

K.O. also reps the East’s Elementality Productions who will co-release Picture This…late spring/early summer 2008.

DJ K.O. Presents: Picture This… Tracklisting
1. “Best To Do It” feat. Royce Da 5’9” feat. Elzhi & Supastition (Produced by M-phazes)
2. “Get ‘Em” feat. Silent Knight, Skyzoo & Emilio Rojas (Produced by Illmind)
3. “Someday” feat. Torae, John Robinson & Talib Kweli (Produced by Analogic)
4. “Ladder Of Success” feat. Phonte, Wordsworth, K-Hill & Masta Ace (Produced by Analogic)
5. “Nobody Like Me” feat. Diamond D, Kaze & Edo. G (Produced by Buckwild)
6. “It’s Time” feat. SoulStice, Eternia & Kenn Starr (Produced by M-phazes)
7. “Mind Of A Genius” feat. Chaundon, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Finale & Sean Boog (Produced by Analogic)
8. “Untitled” feat. East, Silent Knight & Fresh Daily (Produced by 9th Wonder)
9. “3 In The Chamber” feat. O.C., Torae & Kaze (Produced by Ayatollah)
10. “This Land” feat. Silent Knight, J. Siinastah & Archrival (Produced by Analogic)
11. “That Knack” feat. Wordsworth, Stricklin & Torae (Produced by M-phazes)
12. “All I Need” feat. Tiffany Paige & Supastition (Produced by Analogic)
13. “Start It All Over” feat. Skyzoo, Emilio Rojas & Median (Produced by Black Milk)