Play Records / The Ultimate

Funky house meets hip-hop in The Ultimate, a collaboration between Glaswegian producer Hotknife and Los Angeleno MC Everyman.

"It's a much heavier groove than my usual 122bpm tracks," notes Hotknife, "but no less banging."

Originally intended to be a reggae track, Hotknife eventually took a much funkier direction, keenly layering in a live horn section and sax solo. But the icing on the cake came when he employed some rhyme-slinging samples he'd found online. The positive vibes in those samples drew Hotknife to their originator, Everyman. And together, they completed this fresh and funky work of dance music.

"I love making house tunes hit," admits Everyman, whose raps draw comparisons to De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and Souls of Mischief.

The Ultimate is a fun mix of deep funk groove, old skool horns, and hip-hop inspiration.