A rapper, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who's been putting out his unique hip-hop since the mid-'90s, Count Bass D hit the scene in 1995 with his major-label debut, Pre-Life Crisis. Deemed too weird for Sony, he was soon dropped and released the cult favorite Art for Sale before fading into obscurity. He re-emerged five years later with the underground classic Dwight Spitz, flaunting an even more diverse sound and features from indie-rap all-stars MF DOOM and Edan. Since then, he's been absolutely prolific, dropping a gang of collaborative projects (with DJ Pocket, J. Rawls, BlakeNine, and Insight), a handful of EPs, four more solo records, and more than a dozen instrumental albums. Hezekiah II is the second of five rap-free releases he put out in 2012 alone. It features 16 selections that flawlessly meld MPC boom-bap, smooth jazz (in a good way), dramatic synths, bugged-out samples, and a general feeling of funk-laden playfulness. It's wildly charismatic and fun to listen to; just about everything on here is dope. "Broncos," "It Ain't Ever Enough," "Open Up," and "Count Zigenpuss" are extra-nice.