Nobody

Contrary to his nom de musique, Nobody (Los Angeles producer Elvin Estela) is far from a nonentity; his two extraordinary albums have thrust him into a rarefied niche within hip-hop's dichotomous universe (have the underground and mainstream ever seemed farther apart?). Within this stratified context, no other hip-hop artist is so in tune with his inner hippie, save for fellow Californian DJ Frane.

Nobody's new album, Pacific Drift: Western Water Music Vol. 1 (Ubiquity), delves deeply into the psych-rock pantheon, revamping obscure late-'60s gems by the Monkees, the Zombies, Pearls Before Swine, and West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band for ears attuned more to the Neptunes than to the Beatles. Totally devoid of negative vibes, Pacific Drift drips lysergic euphoria from every head-nodding, mind-expanding groove. Nobody's previous album, 2000's Soulmates, explored the nexus of astral jazz and hip-hop with equal finesse, as well as a passionate crate-digger's respect for analog-recording techniques. But whatever style(s) Nobody lays on you at this rare Cleveland appearance, he's sure to augment your headspace like a Timothy Leary of the Technics.