As the Buffalo hip hop community continues to grow, the work of artists like Network, Koolie High, Jack Toft, along with mainstay collective Essential Vitamins Crew, allows us to get an idea of where our local scene stands in relation to the genre as a whole, which has become increasingly hard to define in recent years as new influences have made for some boldly progressive, yet divisive work. Each interpretation of rap music comes with its own eccentricities and whether the focus is on lyricism or production, the tone of the artist is something that always manages become apparent upon first listen. 

Relatively unknown producer Spike Scott creates instrumentals that have a certain reflective, daydreaming quality which brings to mind the work of Los Angeles beatmaker's Flying Lotus and Madlib. Scott incorporates samples ranging from world music to jazz and ambient works to make for a moody, ethereal sound that establishes itself as one of the more unique and developed styles to come out locally in some time. His first instrumental collection, Tape.43 (available as a free download), is an engaging listen that brings up the question of which local MC will be the first to get ahold of these as the potential for a stunning collaboration is clear from tracks like "Give Love A Chance" and "Untitled." Other tracks like the soulful, ambitious "I Spoke To The Lunar Eclipse" and the DJ Shadow inspired "Shoegaze" are signs of an artist with an impressive range whose work so far hints at great things to come for our city's scene and hopefully a full length album. Check out the tape below.