Born Again (CD)

In the 20 years since “Ghetto Pop Life,” the acclaimed debut album from producer-rapper team Danger Mouse & Jemini, much has happened — to them and to hip-hop, much less to the world. You wouldn’t know it listening to their overdue follow-up, “Born Again,” but that’s a good thing, especially against the backdrop of all of that change. A literal time capsule of sound and content from early-‘00s rap, the duo’s sophomore effort was evidently recorded and indefinitely shelved shortly after the release of “Ghetto Pop Life,” making it an authentic throwback to that bygone era. But Jemini’s versatility as a lyricist and Danger Mouse’s sturdy, imaginative production gives “Born Again” a timeless quality that’s not just worthy of its predecessor but places it among the top tier of similar releases from the last several years, including A Tribe Called Quest’s “We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service” and “Cheat Codes,” Burton’s 2022 collaboration with Black Thought, that get heads thinking as much as nodding.

Tracklist

1 All I
2 Locked Up
3 Me
4 Knuckle Sandwich II
5 Born Again
6 Brooklyn Basquiat
7 Walk the Walk
8 Where You From
9 Dear Poppa
10 World Music