Guru's Jazzmatazz Streetsoulis the third in the Gang Starr MC's genre-shifting project. Musicianship has always been at the forefront of the Jazzmatazzethos, so it's surprising that Guru has chosen to focus on voices this time around, choosing instead to work with neo-soul/R&B singers like Donell Jones and global talent like Les Nubians. After the lacklustre New Reality, Streetsoulis well-equipped to re-establish Guru's status as the overseer of a sweltering array of late-night grooves, heavily spiked with string bass, freaky deaky percussion and slinky vocal contributions. Led by Angie Stone's deeply funky appearance on "Keep Your Worries", Guru blends the swooning vocals of Erykah Badu with lounge rhythms on "Plenty", gets weird with Kelis on "Supa Love" and participates on a militant lyrical mission with The Roots. Elsewhere, Common's singer, Bilal, keeps the mood high and expansive with "I testify"-style R&B, British star Craig David holds his own on "No More" and Macy Gray leaves her child-like scrawl all over the plaintive "All I Said". Most of this album is too abstract to classify as a standard sing-a-long. This is partly down to the production by Guru and the Neptunes, where the vocals are utilised as backing to Guru's raps. However Jazzmatazz Streetsoulis an impressive effort to re-establish modern soul's ties with its glorious past as well as reaffirming it's connection to a hip-hop present. --Maxine Kabuubi