People Under the Stairs/Pease/Think

Los Angeles’ People under the Stairs are known as the Steely Dan of hip-hop because they take such an esoteric approach. Their new album, Highlighter, attests to that. The group’s eighth album starts with the Tribe Called Quest-like “Self-Destruct,” a track of atmospheric beats and tongue-twisting raps that sets the stage for a terrific collection of tunes. It’s a testament to the group’s beat-making abilities that a disc of instrumentals accompanies the album. DJs love these guys for their ability to adroitly mix turntable scratches with jazz riffs. (Jeff Niesel)