24 Hour Karate School

For some time, this producer was known as the man behind some of the best beats of the '90s - see Camp Lo's "Luchini (This is It)" and Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents II." But as time passed, Ski Beatz's name appeared less and less on bigger releases, though he continued working with artists such as Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, and Ras Kass. But then, in early 2010, Ski reentered the spotlight as part of Dame Dash's DD172 collective. As such, the producer began working with the likes of Jay Electronica, Jean Grae, Mos Def, and Curren$y, whose Pilot Talk was produced solely by Ski. In the meantime, he also put together 24 Hour Karate School, which began as a mixtape but soon grew to a proper album. The record finds Ski linking with the aforementioned DD172 rappers along with band the Sensei's to create a different, live instrument-driven sound. - Andrew Martin / Prefixmag.com