Simply

by John Bush After the rise in public acclaim garnered by his day job (4 Hero), Dego returned to his side-project Tek 9 with the sophomore album Simply. The title is a sure clue to the sound, considering the LP consists of straight-ahead hip-hop with few frills and a light, jazzy atmosphere. Guests on Simply include eight MCs (mostly American) such as Opio from Souls of Mischief, Chase Infinite, What? What?, Rob Yancey, and Capital A, among others. After the overly produced and overly intelligent nature of 4 Hero material, it's good to see Dego getting back to the tough, hard-hitting production style that made his name with 4 Hero.