Dan "The Automator" Nakamura has quietly made a number of major contributions to hip-hop while managing to remain a non-entity to all but the crate digginest heads. On last year's Handsome Boy Modelling school, a collaborative effort with Prince Paul (another sonic pioneer), he introduced the world at large to a superfluid emcee named Encore on "Waterworld." Previous to this, Encore dropped singles on Certified Records, and Stones Throw Records (owned and operated by Peanut Butter Wolf). Now, in 2000, he brings his debut album Self Preservation to the table.

Encore will leave you begging for exactly that. His intricate rhyme patterns will have you reaching for your rewind button so you can have another listen to what he is saying. Double and even triple meanings abound, as this highly intelligent brother expounds on various subjects, including Islam, African and Egyptian studies, plus commentaries on life in various forms. Particularly peep ".084," a moving discussion of his run-in with the law after driving drunk. It's personal works like this that really connect the listener with Encore.

Most of the production here is provided by The Architect, whose beats complement Encore's rhymes perfectly. Just like the lyrics, the beats manage to find a perfect balance between simplicity and complexity and sit in that niche. He uses layering excellently, keeping each layer simple but the whole is wonderfullly rich. The tracks tend to be quite mellow, with relatively simple drum lines, piano riffs and additional elements like horns or bells where necessary. Architect constructs beats which aren't stagnant, but progress throughout the track with chord progressions and breakdowns to change the pace at opportune moments. This symphonic background is perfect for Encore's operatic words. The only track not handled by the Architect is "It's Going Down" which is produced by Joey Chavez, a better known Left Coast producer among those who follow the underground scene.

As previously mentioned, lyrically, Encore finds an admirable balance between simplicity and complexity. He's also got a great voice, slightly but not annoyingly nasal. His delivery is direct and clearly enunciated, a must with his extensive vocabulary. Guest lyricists handle their business, including Dave Dub, Grand the Visitor, Kedar, Turban, Holekost, Pep Love and The Bishop. I'd never heard any of them before except for Pep Love, a member of the Heiroglyphics Imperium. They certainly don't detract from the album with their presence, and in most cases, the additional voice provides a nice counterpoint to Encore's flow.

Don't sleep, this album is kinda hot. In particular, check: "Esoteric," "Love & Hate (The Mellow Drama)," ".084" "Sporadic," "The Situation," and "It's Going Down."

75 Ark has come through with another banger here, and this is a great addition to anyone's hip-hop library. This is nothing but hip-hop for the love of the artform. I'll leave you with this quote from the title track: "I heard you telling your kid that rap's not good for you, but what'd them killers at Columbine listen to? See I wanna push my kids away from that and keep this Encore right here bumpin fat. Cause there's more to hip-hop folks than just thuggin' and shootin'. And more to black revolution than whylin' and lootin'. Am I the only one who remembers Huey Newton?" Words to the wise.