Before Michigan native Apollo Brown became one of the cornerstone acts of the underground hip-hop label Mello Music Group, producing full-lengths with an extensive list of rappers and singers including Planet Asia, Ras Kass, Che Noir, and Raheem DeVaughn, he made the self-released beat tape Skilled Trade in 2007. A longtime MMG office favorite, the tape was digitally released and included as a bonus CD-R with orders of Browns guest-heavy 2010 album The Reset, then finally issued on vinyl in 2024. From the very outset of his career, Brown already had a distinctive, recognizable sound, adding sturdy boom-bap drums to vintage soul, classic rock, and even yacht rock samples. While Brown is clearly a descendent of master producers like DJ Premier and Pete Rock, his beats have a shop-worn, nostalgic quality that sets them apart. His instrumental releases have often felt more reflective than his work with vocalists, and Skilled Trade has a particular way of speaking through samples, melodies, and sometimes track titles in order to convey his perspective. Even when hes working with very recognizable source material, he manages to tap into certain moments and feelings that others might not focus on, creating something new and unique. The albums intro flips a radio dial from "Its a Mans Mans Mans World" to "Eleanor Rigby" with the help of a thundering breakbeat, and "My Spine" isolates a few moments of longing from the beginning of "Bohemian Rhapsody." "We Almost Lost Detroit" pays tribute to J Dilla while chopping up an appropriate Gil Scott-Heron sample, and tracks like "Way Back" and "Ninety-Two (Gone)" are dotted with formative memories of hip-hops past. The Jeru the Damaja-sampling "Press Ya Luck" is stark, detached, and menacing, yet even when Browns beats are at their most skeletal, they maintain power and character that other producers lack. Several tracks are threaded with brief interview clips, offering insight into how the producer challenges himself and creates work with feeling. Skilled Trade was made at the very beginning of Browns journey as a recording artist, and his focus hasnt wavered ever since. ~ Paul Simpson

Rovi