Digable disappeared, De La Soul is dead, and the members of Tribe Called Quest, A each chose their own instinctive travels. Where does this leave the average fan of cool, jazzy grooves, infused with mellow hip-hop vibes? Sure there are always the Okay Players (Slum Village, The Roots, Mos Def , Common, etc), but when a year like 2001 passes without a single release from any of them, where does the everyday coffee-shop chick or white dude go for friendly, non-aggressive, and most-of-all soulful hip-hop music?

The answer? He digs deeper; deeper underground. These types of acts offering what is now referred to as “progressive” hip-hop music still exist in 2002, but if Rap City is what you subscribe to as far as finding out about new hip-hop artists, you’d never know it. Fat Jon and J. Rawls are two of these types of artists, both producers spawned from Ohio-based crews specializing in this type of music, Five Deez and Lone Catalysts. The 3582  project teams up the two producers / emcees with excellent results.

It actually takes a minute to get the ball rolling with 3582′s The Living Soul, as it’s opener “No Need To Run (82 Mix)” seems kind of droll, (but is later saved by Fat Jon’s remix which somehow fares much better). But throughout the rest of this tightly knit EP, Fat Jon and J. Rawls prove their worth many times over. Songs like “What Could Be” or “Bad Form” not only offer insightful commentary, but also are so beautifully produced that the one listen to either could relieve a stressful day. And the scale isn’t tipped in either direction; as both producers hold their weight with two equally dope renditions of “Yesterday”, although Fat Jon takes on more of the mic chores, as J. Rawls proves that he’s a better producer than emcee on “No Need To Run (35 Mix)”.

Thirteen songs deep, with two remixes, and a few interludes, this short but sweet project is the perfect introduction to these two artists, for anyone who has slept on Five Deez or Lone Catalysts thus far. While many of our early 90′s heroes have faded into obscurity, this album proves the soul still exists in hip-hop music, living through 3582.