ReSERVED Compilation                                                                               Various

"Prepare to be educated."  Beginning with said sampled statement, which no doubt ranks among the boldest ever to begin a hip hop record, ReSERVED Records sets the bar high for themselves on this compilation.  Only a handful of the 8 tracks actually clear it, but none fall prey to the clich�s of 21st century hip hop.  Trading thug posturing, misogynistic lyrics and glossy production for tighter rhymes and rawer beats, this is hip hop as it was intended to sound.

What separates this music even more from the mainstream is the Christian faith professed on many of the tracks.  More than a few heads are bound to be skeptical of that combination, but this record could stand to make them reconsider.  Take Sev Static, who takes aim at industry itself and the (hype)ocritical rappers that come out of it on his track "Birth Write", dropping rhymes like "Don't you listen to what these MC's have to say/They lying bout how they paid/They all just wanna get laid/They wanna wine you and dine you at these fast food places/One hit wonders/Hit it once and bounce with no traces."  The two standout tracks are "The Mic Extremist" by Wordz, a startling debut and a lyrical manifesto against image-conscious rappers (over a cut-up piano sample looped ad infinitum), and Mars ILL's "My Life", the most poignant cut of the bunch, which he sums up on the final words of the disc, "My death might be a tragedy/my life will be a triumph."

The remaining tracks are solid in their own right, but lack the hooks that are so grabbing on the aforementioned.  The Stowaways rap through a sea of samples as playful as their delivery, but aside from dropping some funny lines, they don't seem to have much to say.  Label founder Deftone backs up most of the tracks on the disc, but on his own his turntable solos lack the wicked humor or kinetic energy of Mix Master Mike or Kid Koala (admittedly an unfair judgment, like comparing every guitarist to Eddie Van Halen).   His production gives the whole disc a very rough but authentic sound, lending itself more to underground purists than to average hip hop fans (i.e., white suburban teens) who would prefer a more polished sound.  Time might reward such holdouts, as there's potential for bigger success here.  Any MC can give thanks to God in his liner notes, but if you want to hear some honest props, keep your eye on ReSERVED.
 

http://www.reservedrecords.com

Joe Niemczyk