Cruise away from the mean streets

There's always time for gin and juice, but when the sun's out you want to get as far away from the city as possible. Street talk doesn't exactly set the mood for charcoaling that scotch fillet in the backyard. Now's the time for lush, jazzy beats and rhymes to reflect on.

Few hip-hop collectives personify summer like Philadelphia's the Roots, whose double disc of greatest hits handpicked by the band's prolific drummer,
?uestlove, has been deceptively titled Home Grown! The Beginner's Guide to Understanding the Roots (Volumes One and Two). "Understanding" the world's best hip-hop band is as simple as letting this two hour-plus opus cruise through your consciousness. Any questions? Simply consult ?uestlove's detailed ramblings on the liner notes, (even Grammy winners have their electricity cut off, forget to thank people and write things like "biaaatch!!").

Unlike previous albums - Phrenology in particular - the innovation is to be found in the ways they push the tracks' boundaries, calling on like-minded artists such as Common, Jaguar Wright, Jill Scott, Eve, Beanie Sigel, Mos Def and D'Angelo to join the ride. Check the woozy live medley of The Seed, Melting Pot and Web, the dub version of Break You Off or the almost unrecognisable Don't Say Nuthin' remix for proof of their insane musicianship and ability to bend a track.

If it's the jazzy aspect of the Roots that floats your boat, check out West Oaktown from British producer Colossus (he's 2.03m tall), an ex-funk guitarist who has worked with everyone from Roy Ayers to Roots Manuva and 4Hero. This is cruisy, instrumental Bay Area stuff - think Jazzanova for the hip-hop set. Although a little summer snooze might occur while spinning the first album, so head for the bonus remix disc.

Ironically, some of the most summery sounds have come from producers who've spent hours in recording studios and watching cartoons. Take Madlib, a producer whose ear for the the dark peripheries of funk and soul was immortalised on Quasimoto, Madvillain, Jaylib, Yesterday's New Quintet and Shades of Blue.

His previous work often got carried away by its eccentricities but the cartoon samples no longer take centre stage on Sound Directions: The Funky Side of Life, his first project with studio musicians, featuring fantastic horn arrangements and skittery drums care of Malcolm Catto (MoWax, DJ Shadow).

Madlib seamlessly turns Marvin Gaye, J.J. Johnson and L.A. Carnival tunes into hip-hop classics, adding A Tribe Called Quest's bassline to Billy Brooks' 40 Days, and capturing it all so loosely you'd think turntablism was as entrenched in the 70s as bell-bottoms. By the time he gets to David Alexrod's A Divine Image, he really starts to weave his magic, blending ragged beats and warped loops into the whole seedy mix.

Danger Doom, the duo of Gorillaz' Danger Mouse and rapper MF Doom, also mines the soul-funk era. The latter, incidentally, worked with Madlib under the Madvillain guise. The Mouse and the Mask is inspired by the Cartoon Networks' Adult Swim series, with skits provided by characters themselves. "Why did you buy this album?" snipes Master Shake on the first of many grumpy contributions. "I don't know why, you're stoopid."

Don't listen to him. Doom's rhymes are as twisted and funny as always: "Everybody talkin' bout pistols, gats is boring, he came with a new topic to flip you: vats of urine".

Meanwhile Danger's beats turn the orchestral drama and humour of the cartoon into fully-fledged songs. The chemistry is also immediate with the guest stars. The Mask is a sublime combo of mashed-up strings, crackling vinyl and searing vocals from Ghostface, who makes no effort to disguise his "cranky attitude".

Later, Talib Kweli joins in the theme, recalling his own love of cartoons and how he got chills watching Scooby Doo.

Locally, Dunedin's Vibrasics call to mind the upbeat live vibe of the Black Seeds and the cheek of Supergroove with a good dose of reggae and dancehall thrown in.

For seven musicians the sound is surprisingly sparse, even if the slap-funk bass lines and organ jabs sound a little dated. But there's a likeable simplicity about Vibrasics and the way they draw on soul, jazz and funk to create something original.

Check Step a Little with Anji Sami, the chorus on Lesson One or Mattberry Jam, which turns from blazing funk to jazz with ease.

The Roots: Home Grown! The Beginners' Guide to Understanding the Roots Volume One and Volume Two (Geffen) * * * *

Colossus: West Oaktown (Om Records) * * *

Madlib: Sound Directions (Stones Throw) * * * *

Danger Doom: The Mouse and The Mask * * * *

Vibrasics: Veni Vidi (Borderline Recordings) * * *