The '92 vs. '02 Collection

At first listen, the 92 Vs. 02 EP sounds like Prefuse 73 has gone out to pasture and returned with something altogether new — and was so excited he found it that he had to show everyone by tossing out this 15-minute recording. Leaving behind a bulk of the frantic, chopped-up samples and frenetic beats that adorned the groundbreaking 2001 full-length, Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives, Scott Herren (aka Prefuse 73) goes for a calmer and more collected approach to instrumental hip-hop. The cut-ups are still present, but the samples are warmer and allowed to set forth texture for a stretch further than the full-length — which is a good thing because no matter how fresh Vocal Studies sounded, it was probably more of a departure point for Herren, and now that he's had the chance to soak it in he has also found some inspiration in an unlikely place. While on a tour stop in Detroit for Vocal Studies, Herren caught wind of a demo from Ann Arbor's Dabrye. Herren quickly became a fan of Dabrye's debut, One/Three, and signed him up for a slot on the Eastern Developments roster (Herren's own label). The result, Instrmntl, is in some ways as close a representation of 92 Vs. 02 as Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives. There's no doubt that this is still a Prefuse 73 production, and a pretty darn good one at that. Albeit, one that is a bit short in length, but tall enough for some good, clean fun.