Makaya McCraven - The People's Mixtape (2025) [Hi-Res]

"I just want to honour this music: improvised music, Black American music, whatever you want to call it. I’m not reinventing the wheel, I’m just learning how it’s constructed and using that knowledge to make a statement that will stand the test of time." - MAKAYA MCCRAVEN

Drummer Makaya McCraven, known as the "beat scientist" and shaped by the Chicago music scene, has released his new project Off the Record, a compilation of four adventurous EPs: Techno Logic, The People's Mixtape, Hidden Out!, and PopUp Shop. This twelfth release is McCraven's most ambitious yet, blending traditional jazz with elements of electronic music, hip-hop rhythms, sampling, and live improvisation, thereby continuing his evolution in redefining modern jazz. One of the EPs, The People's Mixtape, was taken from a live recording in Brooklyn in January 2025, and marks the 10th anniversary of his second album In the Moment. Alongside a crew including Junius Paul, Marquis Hill, Joel Ross, and Jeremiah Chiu, McCraven demonstrates mastery of improvisation, creating a harmonically rich performance, culminating in mesmerising and intense tracks like "Choo Choo" and "The Beat Up."

Tracklist:
1-1 Makaya McCraven - Choo Choo [3:55]
1-2 Makaya McCraven - The Beat Up [5:07]
1-3 Makaya McCraven - What a Life [5:07]
1-4 Makaya McCraven - Lake Shore Drive Five [7:02]