Ah, a new year approaches. I never really make resolutions, just predictions about behaviors that may or may not change (soooo lazy). This year I’m pretty sure I am going to get really acquainted with Nujabes’ entire discography.

Sun Jeba was the man. Unfortunately, he died a few years back in a bad car accident while he was in his creative prime. However, the Japanese hip-hop producer left us with two excellent solo albums of tranquil, jazz-infused hip-hop that has unbelievable replay value. His first posthumous album, Spiritual State, was just released at the beginning of this month, and unlike most posthumous releases, it really hews to Nujabes’s artistic trajectory — mellow, reverbed beats, pianos, flutes, and a familiar roster of guest MCs. It is sad he is gone, but the silver lining is that his entire catalogue is flawless (pours forty on the ground).