Iswhat? The Life We Choose

• Words: Derek Beres
• Label: Hyena
• XLR8R Rating: /10

While Cincinnati may not be first place you‘d mine for avant-jazz or hip-hop, Napoleon MC and tenor saxophonist Jack Walker began to flip that script with 2004's You Figure It Out. This follow-up continues with a slew of guest musicians contributing to richly diverse performances from Walker (like his interpretation of Zeppelin's "Kashmir") and the poignant lyrical brew of Napoleon. Track by track, the momentum builds; the quick-witted poetic landscape of "Casket" and cool slide of "Ill Biz" prove strongest. Alas, the constant switching between live performance and studio techniques is the album's only hindrance.