"What we do know about him, and it's the most important thing, is that this music is F-U-N-K-Y...The rawest, grittiest, skin-slapping this side of The Meters..."
- Okayplayer
"The one clear thing is that the music on The Life of Clutchy Hopkins is a marvelously concocted and amazingly fresh and contemporary mesh of funk, hip-hop, jazz, and straight-out weird orchestral psychedelia..."
- All Music
"If I were an emcee, I would want Clutchy on my squad. Much like MF Doom he has the unique ability to make the inanimate articulate, as if his instruments could speak. Not only is Clutchy 'next up', but he's also on some next shit."
- Thick Magaine
"Dope beats evoke the work of the RZA, or Madlib's 'Yesterday's New Quintet', and the raw drums crackle with immediacy. The moody album evokes dark, smokey rooms humming with vintage grooves inspired by old records from swap meet dollar bins. Initially underwhelming, Hopkins' style infects the brain."
- SF Weekly
"Simple but not simplistic, Walking Backwards is a fascinating peek under a rock—whether or not the rock exists."
- Dallas Observer
"Is Hopkins a creation of this label's in-house roster of acts or a mysterious master of the groove arts? In the end, who cares? The 12 tracks here are slick, slow funkin' instrumentals (mostly) that will bring smiles to baristas faces everywhere that it gets spun."
- The Province (Canada)
"Slow-burning arrangements smolder with exotic instrumentation and ear-bendingly effective playing..."
- OC Weekly
"Forged of modern soul, downtempo, hip-hop, blues and electronica, this is one pimp-ass record of atmospheric beat music that throbs with mood, mystery and humor. Add in a clever, hilariously crafted persona that makes truth and fiction impossible to separate as a mascot and you’ve got a winner."
- Orlando Weekly
"There's a spare, spacious approach here that almost reminds us of the energy that we first felt in DJ Shadow's groundbreaking work of a decade before -- a similar love of gritty, organic source material -- and an ear for putting it together with lots of dark twists and turns that balance nicely between classic funk and current hip hop production sensibilities. The flavor of each tune changes nicely -- making the album way more than just a clichéd collection of beats..."
- Dustygroove
"The tempos are suitably slow and the rhythms nicely woozy...It makes for pleasantly laid-back head-nodding fodder."
- Now Magazine (Canada)
"Walking Backwards' dense, drifting instrumentals were built on dry snare thwacks, woodwinds and gloomy, dim-lounge organs...Hopkins is a creepy one. Whoever he is."
- Remix
"The disc is chock full of slick jazz/funk fusion hip-hop beats that plays out like a soundtrack to the life of the Clutchster himself...Walking Backwards is nice change of pace from the norm as far as instrumental discs goes, with many using more samples and synthesizers than actual live instrumentation, with Hopkins apparently manning nearly all of the instrumentation. As a result, Clutchy proves that he's hipper than your average bum off the street, and he can play a mean flute...and drums, and organ, and harp..."
- URB
"Instead of sleuthing for the man's true identity, we're better off simply enjoying his music - which is moodier than your ex-girlfriend and more deliciously layered than the cake she eats."
- Snowboard Canada
"The beats are so sticky-icky the record should come complete with rolling papers. 'Love Of A Woman' wins 'Best Song To Make Babies To' in 2008."
- Slug Magazine
In 1992 a box of reel to reels was found at a yard sale. In this box contained enough musical material to make at least 10 full albums. The original owner would finally surface as a man named Clutchy Hopkins. We have had the opportunity to spend some time with this man. He has told us stories about his father who was a Motown engineer. He has shared endless hours of music with us and also taught us a lot about ourselves. He is like the funky uncle you wish you always had. He is a peaceful mysterious man that has given us some of the best records in our collection. We have had the honor of making some music with Clutchy as well. We would like to thank Clutchy for bringing us the music that he has made, and for letting us share it with the people. Thanks again Clutchy for everything.
It's the way you play that makes it . . . Play like you play. Play like you think, and then you got it, if you're going to get it. And whatever you get, that's you, so that's your story. -- Count Basie
