Jarel‘s jazz-imbued tracks make it clear that the Philly-based producer/MC has studied the great American songbook of Pete Rock and Jay Dee. Adding jazzy keys to a rugged bottom end, “Lock Down” finds Jarel reminiscing about the time when Low-End Theory was the joint; channeling Lonnie “Liston” Smith, he brings a blissful sound to “Sun Walkers.” Occasionally, he borrows too liberally from the J. Dilla playbook (“Do Yo Thang”). However, all the pieces coalesce on “The Big Bounce Theory Part II” (with Vinia Mojica), where Jarel carves his own identity by synthesizing a sophisticated fusion of rap and meditative soul.