BEFORE I GET started, I'd like to extend my apologies to Quannum Records and Lyrics Born. In a review published June 12, I mistakenly reported that Lyrics Born dissed Evidence from Dilated Peoples during his May 31 concert at Slim's. Quannum's Isaac Bess pointed out my error soon afterward, adding that Lyrics Born is friends with Evidence. Thanks for the heads-up, Isaac; I sometimes forget that in order to walk you have to put your feet on the ground, not in your mouth.

I know I've been pushing the "experimental" hip-hop angle lately, ignoring some great boom-bap records in the process. Sure, I like a sonic adventure as much as the next guy, but there's much to be said, too, for pure, unfettered beats and rhymes. This month I'm going to take it back to the essence and share with you a few joints I recently had the pleasure of listening to.

At the top of the list is Richy Pitch's Live at Home EP (Seven Heads, www.sevenheads.com), a great all-star collaboration between the British producer and MC and guest MCs such as Asheru of Unspoken Heard, El Da Sensei, Apani B. Fly Emcee, J-Live, and Mr. Complex. Another EP worth investigating is Skhool Yard's A New Way of Thinking (Threshold, www.threshrecs.com). Scheduled for release Aug. 27, the album is powered by Skhool Yard's Protest (who laces up "Days of Our Lives" with a lovely flute-embellished track), Joey Chavez, and Kutmasta Kurt, who drops some of his tastiest beats since the Masters of Illusion project. Check for Skhool Yard's killer rhymes on "Rollin'," highlighted by Shake's lyric "It's the mayor / I'm keeping it player / It's hard knocks / I do donuts on your block to represent my block."

Equally noteworthy are a pair of 12-inch singles from three rising producers. I first wrote about Canada's DJ Serious in July of last year; since then he's released a full-length, Dim Sum, and a 12-inch full of jazzy excursions, "Unknown Misery," with rapper Unknown Misery backed with a remix of "The Enlightening" and "Frostbite" with Nish Rawks (Audio Research, www.audioresearch.net). Chicago's Single Minded Pros are less buttery, but they're equally proficient at producing MCs. On their second 12-inch, Pacewon's "You Know It's like That" backed with Profound's "How That Sound" and C-Rayz Walz, Breez Evahflowin', and J.U.I.C.E.'s "Who's Fuckin' with This" (SMP, www.singlemindedpros.com), the duo keep their beats minimalist, training the spotlight on the vocalists.

You want more beats? Try out the P Brothers, two UK-based vinyl fanatics known for their eccentric columns in Big Daddy magazine, and their Nottingham Bronx EP (Heavy Bronx, www.heavybronx.com). Fans of Edan and Schooly D will appreciate the super-hard drums and classic Wild Style samples on this one. Most of you are already aware of DJ JS-1 and O.C.'s "Beyond" backed with JS-1 and DJ ODY-ROC's turntablist excursion "The Aftermath" and NYC freestylers Substantial, Tonedeff, PackFM, and Rise's "Arrogant" (Ground Original, www.djjs1.com) since my man O-Dub has been playing it on his Monday night radio show on KALX-FM for weeks. Finally, anyone who has fond memories of the Beatminerz' classic dub beats from the mid '90s should cop the Cocoa Brovaz' "Spit Again" backed with "Tools of the Trade" (Duck Down, www.duckdown.com). The A-side is aiight, but the B-side, produced by Mr. Walt, sounds like a dope outtake from Smif-N-Wessun's classic debut, Shinin'. One.