Emerging from Brooklyn, the hip-hop duo Jigmastas delayed their first official album for years and waited even longer before issuing a follow-up, yet they had already built a solid reputation by the time their debut full-length arrived in early 2001. Much of that profile stemmed from widely discussed live appearances across their hometown, though the bulk of their recognition came from DJ Spinna’s production contributions. Throughout the 1990s he earned widespread acclaim for his skill at crafting cuts and remixes, collaborating with Mary J. Blige, Mos Def, De La Soul, Les Nubians, and numerous additional artists. Spinna had known MC Kriminul since the mid-’80s, and the pair formalized their partnership roughly ten years later amid Spinna’s other commitments. Jigmastas first appeared on record with the 1996 single “Beyond Real,” which became an underground hip-hop hit and supplied the name for the duo’s newly established label. Even so, five more years passed before an album materialized, during which they kept fans engaged through singles such as “Last Will and Testimony,” issued on Tommy Boy Black Label, and the 2000 EP Grass Roots: Lyrical Fluctuations.
The long-anticipated Infectious finally surfaced in May 2001, showcasing several prime demonstrations of Spinna’s cut-and-paste technique along with guest spots from ex-Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid on the police brutality-themed “Hollar” and Brand Nubian’s Sadat X on “Don’t Get It Twisted.” Following that promising launch, the duo largely vanished for the next fifteen years until they resurfaced unexpectedly in 2014 with the single “Resurge.” Skillfully refreshing their established approach, the track gave the impression they had never left, as Kriminul delivered relaxed, old-school flows over Spinna’s smooth, lush jazz-funk instrumentation and signature speaker-shaking bass. The single was included on Resurgence, a 2016 Barely Breakin’ Even collection that gathered previously unreleased material, some of it originating as far back as 2003.
