Today: J. Rocc drops long-awaited debut album ‘Some Cold Rock Stuf’ on Stones Throw Records

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There’s one thing to keep in mind about J. Rocc‘s new double disc offering, ‘Some Cold Rock Stuf,’ released Tuesday on Stones Throw Records. According to the label, ‘It’s not a DJ album. Not a beat album. Not a mixtape.’ Call it what you want, but this bass-wielding collage of multipurpose hip-hop swagger is an apt representation of the storied career of L.A.’s most recognizable crate digger.

After beginning his turntable career in the mid-’80s, J. Rocc’s contributions to the local scene skyrocketed as the co-founder of the DJ collective Beat Junkies in the ‘90s alongside Rhettmatic, Melo-D, DJ Babu and Shortkut. There was also his run as the host of the Fantastic Four Radio show on L.A.’s Power 106 and a role as the third member in the seminal Jaylib project, featuring hip-hop head heroes Madlib and J-Dilla.

Adding to a track list full of jazz-slathered breakbeats, stoner soundtracks and party jams, ‘Some Cold Rock Stuf’ contains a mystery disc -- one of three floating around with no track listing or title -- for you to blindly enjoy. Released as a double disc CD and three-LP set, J. Rocc -- currently on tour in Japan -- has offered plenty of rhythms to digest while awaiting his turntable wizardry to come back stateside. As to exactly how you’ll categorize this in the pantheon of J. Rocc tracks on your iPod, well, that’s up to you.

-- Nate Jackson