In an album melodically separate from past albums, beat magician Rjd2 moves his sound towards the center in his third LP, The Third Hand. But fans of this genius should not be deterred. An artist exploring a new genre is always a cause for celebration! (Especially when the album was entirely performed and produced by the man himself.)

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What's good Seattle?! From the place where people digest salmon and hot dogs with a slab of cream cheese comes a cosmic hip hop group: Common Market. You need celebratory music where horns bounce around the room? Or are you more the downtempo/psychedelic type? Well, this group's got it all.

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Many probably thought that when Jazzy Jeff let out his last flying "Ahhhh!!" on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, he would vanish forever. Not happening.

Among the veterans of hip hop and soul a disc jockey still lurks. In fact, it's pretty hard to emerge from the city of Philly as a songstress or emcee without Jazz having a hand in your melodies. Like any DJ, he produces beats for himself and his friends -- except these friends just happen to be advanced placement students of hip hop.

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Take two cups of funk, two cups of microphone skills, a half cup of turntables, and two tablespoons of Nas and Prince samples and you've made yourself a fine band from Austin, TX. From the home of the Longhorns comes Afrofreque, a vibrant fusion band that brings a raw sound.

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Hip hop artist Ty, from the UK-based label Big Dada Recordings, delivers a blend of witty lyricism and soulful production on his sophomore album

. After his beat-infested, critically-acclaimed debut, he had no choice but to release something equally as fruitful -- if not more.

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