Independent Buffalo rapper Jae-Skeese released his second mix-tape Negative Nothing last weekend, marking another success in making local hip-hop relevant. 

There’s plenty of diversity in the most recent record, not only in accompanying artists, but also in style.  There are chill tunes (“Radio,” “‘90’s Flow Revisited”)—solid for a hazy summer day on the porch—to Buffalo-pride references to Bailey Avenue and Genesee Street in “City Life”—to Nas-flavored joints (“Big Brother,” “Lala”).  There’s even a serious piano-based track in “Present Unwrapped.”

Browsing through Twitter, favorite tracks include “Choosy Lover,” “Addiction” and “Musical Chairs.”  The latter two are Skeese’s preferences off his own album.

Skeese places considerable pride in his wordplay and expansive vocabulary; you don’t see many rappers who can fit words like “juxtaposition” and “concave”  in a rhyme.  Another promising point is that his lyrics are intelligible; often, as the beat gets faster, the words become slurred and less enunciated for many rap artists—not so with Jae-Skeese.

I can also appreciate hip-hop artists who include relatively-obscure athletes in their beats—Luol Deng’s name is dropped in the first verse of “K9 Riot.”

The album is mixed and hosted by DJ Tiger, who clearly has a fascination with Charlie Sheen from the intros to many of the tracks.  TIGER UPPERCUT!  Listen below: