Turn It Up – JV and Teej (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

If you think that hip-hop missed its chance to go wholly over ground as a musical style and that rap music seemed to jump the queue and became the radio friendly, unit shifting, happy to compromise, edgy dance music of choice, then JV and Teej are probably just what you need in your life. These two long-term friends blend elements of old-school hip-hop with a slick later R&B and a chilled funk vibe to create a sound which is both aware of its place in musical history, yet manages to keep things fresh and exciting as it strides off towards new musical horizons.

Casual choruses share space with more direct rap deliveries, the beats are solid, the flow of the song wanders through interesting dynamic shifts and underneath is a fluid musical wash which emanates both warmth and cool at the same time, if you know what I mean.

But if these guys are on a mission to remind us of the sounds of the old days, give us a glimpse of an alternative version of musical history, one where songs like this form a large section of commercial radio play, and give us a chance to reset things and aim for a more interesting musical future, it isn’t their only mission. Part of the proceeds from their new album will be going to ensure school kids in their local community remain properly feed and looked after.

The world needs all the help it can get at the moment, it is a time to bring people together and lean on each other. If you can further that ideal by releasing a song that may turn out to be the chilled party track of the summer, all the better.