Editorial Reviews

More than a simple ol' label sampler, the Definitive Jux Presents volumes are put together with care by the left-field hip-hop label, are usually fat with exclusives, and have always come with one new act to get excited about. Here, it's a "sort of" new group, as alt hip-hop supergroup the Weathermen (Aesop Rock, Breezly Brewin', Cage, the late Camu Tao, Tame One, and Y@K Ballz) return after six years off. Here main members Aesop, Cage, and El-P present "Reports of a Possible Kidnapping," a juggernaut of an opener, dense with surreal rhymes and paranoid beats. The loss of Camu Tao has obviously made the remaining members closer, and anyone unfamiliar with the rapper will understand the man's potential when checking his frantic "When You're Going Down." Another surprise comes when Mr. Lif offers a hook radio might fall for, although any thoughts about Def Jux selling out are wiped out as Hail Mary Mallon follow with the broken beat "D-Up." Other highlights include El-P's bitter closer, "How to Serve Man," which might have been inspired by his beefs with a certain Def Jux defector ("That's not you mouth/It's a boredom generator"), plus Despot's "Look Alive," which skillfully cuts down the competition with a Yellowman quote and "Two left feet planted in yo ass." David Jeffries, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

• Listener Rating: