Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality

Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality is the second studio album by American hip hop recording artist Guru.[4][5] This second release to the Jazzmatazz series slightly toned down the jazz rap punch that made the first volume memorable. It was nevertheless critically acclaimed in its own right. Guests featured on this release include Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd, Ramsey Lewis, Kool Keith, Patra and Jamiroquai; other musicians reprising their roles from the previous release include Branford Marsalis, Courtney Pine and Ronny Jordan.

Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality
Studio album by
Guru
ReleasedJuly 18, 1995
Recorded1994–95
Genre
[1]
Length73:09
LabelChrysalis
ProducerGuru, Ronny Jordan, Donald Byrd, DJ Premier, Nikke Nicole, Solsonics, Mark Sparks, True Master
Guru chronology
Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1
(1993)		 Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality
(1995)		 Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3: Streetsoul
(2000)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]

According to Billboard music charts, this album slightly outpeformed its predecessor; it peaked at #16 and #73 on Billboard's "Top R&B / Hip Hop Albums and "Billboard 200" albums charts respectively. The single "Watch What You Say" (featuring Chaka Khan) peaked at #13 and #93 on the Billboard's "Hot Dance Music / Maxi-Singles" and "Hot R&B / Hip Hop Singles & Tracks" charts respectively.

Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality was released on July 18, 1995, via the Chrysalis imprint.

Critical reception

Trouser Press wrote that "the combination of styles is far less seamless [than on Vol. 1], and the songs-less hip-hop/jazz melds than hip-hop/R&B-flavored jazz blends-take fewer risks."[5]

Track listing
  1. "Intro [Light It Up] Jazzalude I" – 1:44
  2. "Lifesaver" featuring Baybe – 4:13
  3. "Living in This World" – 4:29
  4. "Looking Through Darkness" – 4:48
  5. "Skit A [Interview] Watch What You Say" featuring Chaka Khan – 5:00
  6. "Jazzalude II - Defining Purpose" – 1:02
  7. "For You" featuring Meshell Ndegeocello – 4:10
  8. "Insert A [Mental Relaxation] Medicine" featuring Ini Kamoze – 4:19
  9. "Lost Souls" featuring Jamiroquai - 4:12
  10. "Insert B [The Real Deal] Nobody Knows" with Shara Nelson – 3:58
  11. "Jazzalude III - Hip Hop As A Way Of Life" – 1:17
  12. "Respect The Architect" – 4:51 featuring Bahamadia and Ramsey Lewis
  13. "Feel the Music" – 3:57
  14. "Young Ladies" featuring Kool Keith – 4:12
  15. "The Traveler" – 4:01
  16. "Jazzalude IV - Maintaining Focus" – 1:18
  17. "Count Your Blessings" – 4:02
  18. "Choice Of Weapons" – 4:24
  19. "Something in the Past" – 3:19
  20. "Skit B [A Lot On My Mind] Revelation" – 4:35

Personnel
  • Marc Antoine — Guitar
  • Bahamadia — Vocals
  • Baybe — Vocals
  • Carlos Bess — Engineer, Mixing
  • Big Shug — Vocals
  • Bu — Vocals
  • Donald Byrd — Trumpet, Producer
  • Rob Caprio — Engineer
  • Jose "Choco" Reynoso — Creative Input
  • Mike Chukes — Engineer
  • Jez Colin — Producer, Bass
  • Wallace Collins — Didjeridu
  • Derrick Davis — Flute, Sax (Alto)
  • Tony Dawsey — Mastering
  • DJ Premier — Producer
  • DJ Red Handed — Scratching, Turntables
  • DJ Scratch — Scratching, Turntables
  • DJ Sean-Ski — Scratching, Turntables
  • Bill-Dog Dooley — Engineer
  • Neale Easterby — Executive Producer
  • Keith Elam — Executive Producer
  • Paul "Sequence" Ferguson — Piano, Keyboards & Guitar
  • Gordon Franklin — Creative Input
  • Darren Galea — Sax (Tenor)
  • Kenny Garrett — Saxophone, Fender Rhodes
  • Steve Gursky — Engineer, Mixing
  • Guru — Arranger, Composer, Vocals, Producer, Mixing
  • Gus Da Vigilante — Vocals
  • Brian Holt — Bass, Guitar, Keyboards
  • Freddie Hubbard — Trumpet
  • Kenneth Ifill — Engineer
  • Jason Kay — Vocals
  • J.B. — Engineer
  • Ben Jones — Engineer
  • Benny Jones — Engineer
  • Ronny Jordan — Guitar, Producer
  • Ini Kamoze — Vocals
  • Chaka Khan — Vocals
  • Jan Kincaid — Piano
  • Kool Keith — Vocals
  • Thierry Le Goues — Photography
  • Dee C. Lee — Vocals
  • Shawn Lee — Drums
  • Ramsey Lewis — Synthesizer, Piano, Moog Synthesizer
  • Lucien — Vocals
  • Henry Marquez — Art Direction
  • Branford Marsalis — Saxophone
  • Willie McNeil — Drums
  • Dennis Mitchell — Keyboards, Engineer
  • Sikken Moov — Vocals
  • Leo Morris — Engineer
  • Leo Swift Morris — Engineer
  • Patrick Moxey — Executive Producer
  • Me'Shell NdegéOcello — Bass, Vocals
  • Shara Nelson — Vocals
  • Nikke Nicole — Producer
  • Panchi Da Wild Comanchi — Creative Input
  • Mica Paris — Vocals
  • Patra — Vocals
  • Courtney Pine — Flute, Saxophone
  • Bernard "Pretty" Purdie — Drums
  • Joe Quinde — Engineer
  • Dennis Rodriguez — Keyboards
  • J. Rodriguez — Clarinet, Flute
  • Mike Rone — Creative Input
  • Eddie Sancho — Engineer, Mixing
  • Solsonics — Producer
  • Mark Sparks — Producer
  • Sweet Sable — Vocals
  • True Master — Vocals, Producer
  • Yoram Vanan — Engineer
  • Kieran Walsh — Engineer
  • Reuben Wilson — Organ
  • Stuart Zender — Bass

References
  1. "Album Reviews : In Brief : * Guru, "Jazzmatazz, Volume 2: The New Reality," Chrysalis/ EMI". Los Angeles Times. September 16, 1995.
  2. "Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2 (The New Reality) - Guru | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  3. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Volume 4: MUZE. p. 600.CS1 maint: location (link)
  4. Rabaka, Reiland (August 9, 2012). Hip Hop's Amnesia: From Blues and the Black Women's Club Movement to Rap and the Hip Hop Movement. Lexington Books. ISBN 9780739174920 – via Google Books.
  5. "Gang Starr". Trouser Press. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
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