So, I haven't gotten round to doing my compilation posts for the past coupla weeks. And I'm running out of compilations for FLFD, so if you've got any ideas, send an email to me or even leave a comment in this post.Anyways, compilation post! Last week first of all: Soundbombing III, released on Rawkus Records in 2002, mixed by Cipha Sounds and the delicious sounding Mr. Choc, (obviously) the third installment in the series of hip-hop comps. This one wasn't as warmly received as the previous two installments - basically, Rawkus was a long way away from the "independent as fuck" days thanks to a bunch of mini-blockbusters that were inescapable when I was eleven years old: Mos Def's Black on Both Sides, Reflection Eternal's Train of Thought, and Pharoahe Monch's Internal Affairs, the album that pretty much changed the label forever on the back of that single.
So long story short - Rawkus went on a joint business venture with MCA, so everything got a little more commercial friendly (to the disgust of some long-running Rawkus fans) on the following records, but then things weren't working out. Interscope swooped in and bought Rawkus after MCA folded in 2003; the next year, Rawkus split from Interscope with pretty much all its big artists off on other labels. Recently, it's brought out records by Marco Polo and Kidz In The Hall while trying to relabel the brand as less record imprint, and more superblog. No offence to their hustle, but it's a bit disappointing to see.
So even if Soundbombing III is arguably part of the era where Rawkus lost its way, is it any good? Well, like all compilations, it's got bangers and it's got lame ducks - the bangers mostly outweigh the lame ducks here though. The lead single, "The Life" - Styles P on the verses, Pharoahe (the label's golden kid at the time) on the hook - is still gorgeous seven years on, and I played it on my show last week. I also played Cocoa Brovaz' "Spit Again" (featuring, no shit, DAWN PENN) which is just the filthiest, nastiest banger possible. (Note: Cocoa Brovaz had a good run on Rawkus comps - I still know all the words to "Get Up", just like I did when I was in high school. I need to have a Lyricist Lounge post someday.)
But I didn't play all the other cool shit on this compilation: Q-Tip coming across all smooth and impeccable on "What Lies Beneath"; Talib Kweli and (deranged, fucked up misogyny put to the side for one minute here) DJ Quik somehow letting their polar opposite styles melt like gumbo on "Put It in the Air"; world famous granola rappers Common and Kweli cutting a track with Zap Mama, who I remember most for singing "Iko Iko" while Tom Cruise climbed a mountain in M:I-2. And yeah, there's chaff here: Missy Elliott on a Rawkus comp (sorry, shouldn't happen - it's like characters from Stargate SG1 showing up on The Wire); Mos Def slipping into post-BOBS irrelevance on "Freak Daddy"; an all-star remix of Jonell's "Round and Round" that drains all the quiet sadness out of the supreior original remix.
But the good moments are worth it. So check these tracks out already:
If you like these, buy Soundbombing III. It's about 60p, so c'mon. (Expect a post on the really interesting The 49th Parallel sometime next week.)
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