Forgotten Treasure: Dr.Who Dat “Beat Journey” (2006)

There was a time in the mid 2000s where experimental hiphop was blossoming. Instrumental albums were popping up left and right and Dilla and Madlib were establishing their place in the left field beat pantheon. The broken beat scene was also emerging and Houston producer Jneiro Jarel aka Dr.Who Dat was right in the middle of it all.

When I first heard his music I was immediately drawn in to the complex layers of instrumentation and the arrangements that felt much greater than simple loops and sequencing. His mixes introduced me to both Houston rap (right before the South took over) and brokenbeat and deephouse. Beat Journey (Lex Records) for me is a perfect time capsule of that moment in time and the right alchemy of melodic rythms and banging drums.

The song Pharoah’s Dream represents Jarel’s approach perfectly. Organic overarching ambient samples that always progress (like a pharaoh sanders freejazz blow session) and lead to bass heavy thumps and neck snapping boombap. The brazilian influence is clear as the record is a result of a trip to the land of samba and my favorite track Brazilian Thought actually made me discover Arthur Verocai’s seminal record who in many ways ressembles Jneiro’s musical path up to that point, as both are self produced labors of love where the artist guaranteed his musical vision would be uncompromised.

Beat Journey is a unique record with beautiful artwork on the outer/inner sleeves and is truly something to discover. Jneiro has moved on and most recently released a full collaborative album with MF Doom; keeping his creativity flowing but to me this will always be his masterpiece and I everytime i miss the warmth and liveliness of Brazil I just spin Bahia Blues and start dreaming.

DJ Asma

A Montreal native with West-African roots, Antoine started developing a love for records when his father passed his collection of French, African, Caribbean and Brazilian classics onto him. Ever since, the collector turned selector has spent countless hours in musky basements both here and abroad (Dakar, Lima, Paris, Quito, Rio) in the never-ending search for the perfect beat!