You meet a lot of kids in elementary school: the crybaby, the bully, the glue-eater … but six future bandmates? Almost unheard of. Which is why Dujeous is quite the Cinderella story. Friends since early childhood, the sextet grew into a band in 2004, hustling their demo on the streets of New York. Fast-forward to world tours with Kanye West, Mobb Deep and John Legend, and backup gigs behind Mark Ronson, Lily Allen and the Reverend Al Green himself. The band’s success is due entirely to their revelatory brand of organic hip hop, crafted not on the computer, but on instruments that include guitar, trumpet, drums, bass, accordions, mellotrons, Japanese koto, not to mention the vocal thunder of three fierce MCs.

Dujeous’ sophomore effort, Day In Day Out, shows their pitch perfect musicianship at full throttle. A swelling string section and an emotive little melody on the balafon provide the background for the album’s first single, “Break Bread,” both a soulful song of thanksgiving and a blistering cautionary tale. The group recruited GRAMMY winner John Legend to sing the mellowed-out chorus, and he delivers the Dujeous manifesto to perfection: “We’ve got the recipe that sticks to the ribs / No artificial additives, it’s clear / If you really need some satisfaction / Settle down for a home-cooked meal.” Funk-soul queen Sharon Jones, Koto master Masayo Ishigure and DMC champ DJ Staen 1 also make appearances on the record — proving that there’s room for everyone on the Dujeous playground.