The rubbery bass and echoing chorus of 'Revolution' evokes reggae's '70s peak without sounding too similar to any of that era's biggest stars, while 'Devil's Whisper' has that booming Jamaican-style chorus, underscored with the knee-slap percussion of Delta blues - a unique mix if ever there was one. While Raury makes no secret of his influences, that doesn't mean he lacks his own distinctive style. 'Crystal Express,' All We Need's most upbeat, fun and infectiously catchy track, takes cues from OutKast's underrated latter day masterpiece, Idlewild, via its blues swing era-tinged instrumentation. His flow on 'Peace Prevail,' meanwhile, has the southern drawled staccato cadence of Three Stacks' more recent fare, along with a bongo beat that's gentle but rapid, somehow sounding akin to gurgling bong water flowing from the Soulquarians era. On 'Forbidden Knowledge' (featuring a fiery Big K.R.I.T.), Raury sounds like a reincarnation of André 3000 when the elder MC was first wooing Erykah Badu, thanks to his raps about there being a 'universe' in a young lady's afro.

While the 19-year-old Raury isn't strictly a rapper like 'Kast were when they were his age, he does spit plenty of rhymes on All We Need, while also incorporating soul, funky, blues reggae and more. On his new LP, All We Need, the ambitious young artist pays plenty of homage to his fellow ATLiens, who helped pave the way for modern hip-hop eclecticism. It's easy to see why Raury was tapped to be the opening act for OutKast's recent reunion tour.

Raury all we need tpb