Andy Cooper and DJ Robert Smith are a pretty natural match. Cooper has spent more than three decades refining a particular kind of Hip Hop through Ugly Duckling, while Berlin turntablist Robert Smith has dedicated much of his career to the physical side of the culture: cutting, scratching, juggling records, and keeping the DJ firmly at the center of the music. Extra Ordinary brings those two approaches together for an album that sounds deeply rooted in classic Hip Hop without feeling like a museum piece.

Andy Cooper has been a member of Ugly Duckling since the group formed in Long Beach, California, around 1993. Alongside Dizzy Dustin and DJ Young Einstein, he helped build one of the most recognizable underground Hip Hop groups of the post-Golden Age era. Ugly Duckling developed a sound based heavily on the late 1980s and early 1990s, with breakbeats, samples, scratching, playful boasting, humor, and a strong connection to groups such as Run-DMC, Eric B. & Rakim, EPMD, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, and Boogie Down Productions.

The group initially built its following independently, releasing Down The Road on cassette in 1995 before the Fresh Mode EP and eventually signing with 1500/A&M/Universal. Albums such as Journey to Anywhere, Taste the Secret, Bang for the Buck, Audacity, and Moving at Breakneck Speed kept that old-school approach alive well into an era when much of mainstream Hip Hop had moved in a very different direction.

Cooper has also pursued solo work, but his musical identity has remained remarkably consistent. He is an MC who values rhythm, wordplay, personality, and technique over fashion. His delivery can be rapid-fire without becoming exhausting, and there is usually a mischievous quality to his writing. He can rap about Hip Hop itself, everyday life, competition, or simply having a good time without needing to turn every song into a statement.

Robert Smith comes from a different corner of the Hip Hop world, although the underlying philosophy is similar. The Berlin native, whose real name is Ric Strakow, discovered Hip Hop as a teenager and has spent more than two decades behind the turntables. He is part of the duo Smith&Smart and has also worked with Slick Walk, while performing internationally as a solo turntablist. His résumé includes winning the #ShookOnesSkratchChallenge in 2016, becoming DMC Germany Champion in 2017, reaching the KWC Europe final that same year, and winning the #ComeDownSkratchChallenge in 2019.

Those credentials matter because Extra Ordinary is built around the idea that a DJ should be heard, not relegated to background decoration. Smith treats the turntables as an instrument. Scratches pop up throughout the record, adding movement and punctuation while reinforcing the traditional DJ-and-MC partnership. His style comes from the same culture that produced the classic scratch records and live DJ performances of Hip Hop’s formative decades. Smith has even described scratching as something he practices constantly, comparing it to a form of yoga.

That old-school foundation is immediately apparent on Extra Ordinary. The album contains twelve tracks and runs for roughly 44 minutes, which gives Cooper and Smith enough room to develop their ideas without dragging things out. There is no attempt to imitate current trends. No autotune. No trap production. No bloated guest list designed to inflate streaming numbers. Instead, the formula is refreshingly simple: boom-bap beats, rhymes, scratches, samples, and personality.

The title track, “Extra Ordinary,” establishes the spirit nicely. Cooper sounds completely at home over Smith’s funky production, delivering the kind of confident, technically sharp rhymes that have defined his career. “Authentic” takes that philosophy further, with the emphasis squarely on originality and Hip Hop fundamentals. Cooper has always been comfortable rapping about the culture itself, and here the subject fits the music rather than feeling like an excuse for nostalgia.

“Bullet Train” is another highlight, driven by Cooper’s fast delivery and the energetic production. His flow moves quickly without sacrificing diction, a skill that has been part of his arsenal since the Ugly Duckling days. The track has the kind of forward momentum that makes it easy to imagine working in a live set.

“Slow Walking” provides a nice contrast. Rather than keeping the tempo at full speed, the album occasionally allows the groove to breathe. This is one of the strengths of Extra Ordinary: the record understands that traditional Hip Hop does not have to mean one monotonous boom-bap loop repeated twelve times. There are changes in pace and mood, but the musical language remains consistent.

“Dedicated to the Groove” may be the clearest statement of intent. The groove itself becomes the subject, with Cooper riding the beat while Smith adds the kind of cuts that remind listeners why turntablism remains such an important part of Hip Hop’s DNA. Then there is “DJ Robert Smith Means Business,” where the album essentially hands the microphone to the DJ. It is a fitting gesture. After all, this is a collaboration between an MC and a turntablist, not an MC with a producer who happens to scratch.

The playful “4 Hand Band” also stands out because it pushes the DJ component further. Smith’s presence is not limited to a few scratches dropped into otherwise conventional productions. His fingerprints are all over the record, giving the album a tactile quality that is increasingly rare in contemporary Hip Hop.

And that is probably the biggest reason Extra Ordinary works so well. There is no desperation to prove that old-school Hip Hop is still relevant. Cooper and Smith simply make the music they know how to make, and they make it with enthusiasm. The result is upbeat, positive, technically accomplished Hip Hop that never feels stale.

There is also a welcome sense of fun throughout the album. Cooper does not take himself too seriously, and Smith’s turntablism adds an element of showmanship that keeps the tracks lively. This is music made by people who clearly enjoy the craft. The skill is there, but it never overwhelms the songs.

For listeners who came up with late-80s and 90s Hip Hop, Extra Ordinary will feel immediately familiar. For younger listeners, it offers a concise demonstration of how effective a straightforward DJ-and-MC record can still be when the people involved understand rhythm, timing, arrangement, and performance.

Andy Cooper has spent more than 30 years proving that there is still plenty of life in traditional Hip Hop. Robert Smith brings the battle-tested technique of a German DMC champion and veteran turntablist. Put the two together and Extra Ordinary becomes exactly what its title suggests: an album built from familiar ingredients, but executed with enough skill and personality to make them feel fresh again.

No gimmicks, no unnecessary distractions. Just a damn good time with an MC, a DJ, some funky beats, and plenty of cuts.

8.5/10

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