This came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
On his own CDs like Maxinquaye and Pre-Millennium Tension, U.K. rapper and producer Tricky comes off as the dark knight of hip-hop, spinning nightmarish, claustrophobic soundscapes that are the polar opposite of today’s dance-pop.
You wouldn’t assume he and two commercial guys like Cypress Hill’s blunted beatmaster Muggs and big-time rap producer Grease could agree on a bassline, never mind an album. But on their fittingly titled Juxtapose, they meet each other in the middle, with Muggs and Grease poking their heads into Tricky’s dark world while he takes a few tentative steps into the light. Of course, for Tricky, lightening up means leavening his midnight rasp and shadowy, skittering style with some acoustic guitars, funky percussion and lighthearted lyrics. It’s hardly pop, but Juxtapose is still a surprisingly agreeable affair all around.
