Nottz I Still Love You

Nottz has produced records for all of the big names: Busta Rhymes, G-Unit, J Dilla, Kanye West, Scarface, Snoop Dogg, The Game, and The Notorious B.I.G. This marks his first time handling production for his debut album, which will soar under the commercial radar.

You Need This Music is the perfect catalogue compliment to Black Milk's Album of the Year. The "Intro" opens up with strong convictions from a woman over haunting music, confirming "disciples of the boom bap, who refuse to let the genre take it's last breath: it's time to wave goodbye to bullshit and recognize that you need this music." After the monologue is completed, Travis Barker's drums hit center speaker; he has found welcomed employment in the hip hop world.

"Fair Warning" wastes no time capturing heads after "Intro." It opens with a scratched Eminem sample, "Business," and coming from this acclaimed Virginia producer, that speaks volumes. Marshall gets his credit and this album is so underground, so good, so far.

Today's hip hop head/fan/stalker believes that too many features on an album displays unoriginality and weakness; No Limit Records was so 1998. You Need This Music is the exception for 2010. It features Travis Barker, Black Milk, Kardinal Offishall, Little Brother, Joy Denalane, Mayer Hawthorne, Asher Roth, Colin Munroe, Terese Cook, Snoop Dogg, Royce Da 5'9, Joell Ortiz, Dwele, and Bilal: 14 guest artists on 14 tracks.

Nottz caught many eyes and ears when he released his brilliant visual for "Shine So Brite," homage to Dilla, saying "You see how people went crazy when he dropped Donuts. And if a sucka didn't like it, he gotta be nucking futts." He also asks the empirical question, "What is it, dope or dog food?"

Also, a big track treat is with Ann Arbor native Mayer Hawthorne, who has made a cannonball with his new interpretation on old motown vocals and sound.

Note to A&Rs: please, no copycats of Nottz in 2011.