Rodey Smith, aka Roots Manuva, has been a pioneer in the U.K. hip-hop scene for more than a decade, and SLIME & REASON finds him keeping step with of-the-moment contemporaries like the Streets and Dizzee Rascal, while tapping into something more laid back, musical, and global in its influence. “Kick Up Ya Foot” could be lifted from a mid-’90s Busta Rhymes session, but it’s kept grounded with Manuva’s Guru-esque, mega-chill flow. Elsewhere, on “2 Much 2 Soon,” he lets his delivery take on more of a cockney swagger, but juxtaposes it against a spare snare loop with occasional emphatic horn flourishes. And on bangers like “I’m A New Man,” Manuva goes for broke with chaotic, El-P-worthy production, bringing the album toward a close with a definitive reaffirmation of his legacy.