Raphael Saadiq "The Way I See It" (2008)

Who buys these records?  The sound and packaging is aggressively retro.  Saadiq doesn't have the advantage of being old enough to be "legendary" or "forgotten".  These two factors alone would seem to be enough to eliminate most of the young black & white audiences. 

It's a shame, really, because this is a wonderful record of 60s referencing R&B.  Unlike so many contemporary musicians, Saadiq really understands how to build a hook and create an effective pop song.  This should have been a massive release.

Po Girl "Deer In the Night" (2009)

This is a really nice record.  Your mom will like it.  You can take it to social events, and it will never embarrass you.  It's not too demanding, and will be happy just hanging out and watching a movie or some TV.  It's grades are good, not valedictorian quality, but solidly As & Bs.  It doesn't dress too conservatively, but not at all slutty.

Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit "The Very Best" (2008)

This is a record that I had totally forgotten.  In fact, after listening to a bit, it took me a while to even remember why I had it.  As I recall, this was a free mixtape that got quite a bit of hype back in 2008. Online sources were calling it one of the best world releases of the year.  The sound itself is much too influence by dance/club music to really be of much interest to me.

Common "Like Water for Chocolate" (2000)

OK kids, before Common was an actor, he was a rapper!  Back in the 90s he was one of the guys who provided an alternative to the much higher profile gangsters dominating the music.

Like Water for Chocolate holds up pretty well, but perhaps that should be expected given that its sound was at least somewhat consciously retro at the time of its release.  In combination with the rest of his catalog, Common can make a case that he is the best of the rappers turned actors.

Chiwoniso "Rebel Woman" (2008)

This is contemporary African pop.  Straddling both the traditional & the modern camps, the album doesn't really feel satisfying in either vein.  Interesting, but not worth dwelling upon.

Madlib "Blunted in the Bomb Shelter" (2002)

The titular Bomb Shelter is Madlib's basement studio.  Here he mixes up elements from some insanely large collection of classic Trojan reggae tracks.  There are elements from what sounds like hundreds of classic songs.  While Madlib's cutup technique works against the hypnotic side of reggae, it's a surprisingly enjoyable listen.

Illa J "Yancey Boys" (2008)

J Dilla's brother put out this album after Dilla's death.  The beats are unused Dilla beats, the vocals are his brothers.  Unfortunately, Illa J is a bit too interested in R&B singing for my taste.  The real draw here is Dilla's work.  For the hard core fan only.