O.S.T.

Two dudes from Los Angeles, Thes One and Double K have been cranking out top-notch hip-hop since 1998. Heavily influenced by the golden-era sound, their music is all about well-placed jazzy samples, neck-snapping breakbeats, and block party/BBQ-ready rhyme schemes. Classically styled while avoiding retro gimmickry, they've amassed a global fanbase of crate diggers and aging b-boys, touring and collaborating with like-minded L.A. acts including Dilated Peoples, Time Machine, and Ugly Duckling. Released in 2002, O.S.T. is their third album, and basically follows their winning formula of good times, feel-good music complemented by lyrics exclusively about real life endeavors: shopping for rare records, getting faded at house parties, hollering at the ladies, eating Mexican food, and cruising around the City of Angels. While they've been extraordinarily consistent over their career, this album is a standout, a 20-track collection that is absolutely guaranteed to put you in a sunny mood. Check out the Spoonie Gee-esque jam "The Hang Loose," their hometown ode "The L.A. Song," and the vibraphone-propelled closer "The Break Down."