Contraband from India is nothing short of a cultural experiment — one that beautifully blends together the styles of old and new school hip hop as well as the sounds of the East and West hemispheres. Contraband from India is the result of renowned Shaolin Jazz co-founder DJ 2-Tone Jones’ month-long retreat in India where he conducted hip hop diplomacy and scoured Calcutta for rare jazz fusion and traditional Indian records. Upon returning home, Jones sent select tracks from the records he bought to legendary hip hop producers to sample from. With Jones overseeing the album’s production in a more hands-off approach, Contraband sees a super-group of producers sampling mesmerizing beats from Indian records while Asheru, Prince Po (Organized Konfusion), and several other distinguished rappers wax poetic over them, creating a once-in-a-lifetime record.

by Paul Schoening