Allow me to preface the review with this confession: I absolutely do not like mixtapes.

It’s not that I don’t like deejaying, scratching, or blending. It’s just that more often than not, most deejays just don’t know when to leave well enough alone. It frustrates me to no end when I’m trying to listen to a mix to hear some killer flow from MC IllMicTactics, and the deejay takes the seamless flow and smooth track as a cue to start scratching and distorting everything. Eventually, he starts screaming his name, catch phase, or shout-outs over the rapper, killing the song. I know you professional disc jocks don’t want to hear this, but fans primarily cop the tapes to hear the artists, not to hear the laundry list of “who you’re down with”.

Unfortunately, mixtapes are a necessary evil for underground rap fans. Since most Hip Hop radio and video outlets have dedicated themselves to pushing commercial Hip-pop music in order to maximize their bottom line, these mixes are usually the only way for fans of the underground to find the best new talent. Rawkus Records has come to the rescue of underground rap fans more than a few times, releasing some extraordinary Hip Hop compilations like the Soundbombing series and of course, the famous Lyricist Lounge CDs.

For their latest release, Underground Airplay Version 1.0, we return the Lyricist Lounge aesthetic, spotlighting some of the best work of the most promising underground rappers. This LP is a little different from the others though, because while the LL discs were essentially assembled as compilation CDs, Underground Airplay is put together as a mixtape with DJ Spinbad manning the turntables. With 31 tracks (each mostly between 2-4 minutes) of pure underground flavor, there’s plenty here to satiate underground rap fans’ appetites.

Track Listing
1. Intro - DJ Spinbad
2. Heat Of the Moment - Killah Priest
3. Lounge Promo - HOM
4. Nuthin' You Can Do (W.Y.B.) - Skeme Team
5. Return - Self Scientific
6. 54th Regiment - Maspyke
7. Bisexual - Jane Doe
8. Same O.G. - Casual
9. Boom Bip - Zion I
10. Ol' Time Killin' - Kardinal Offishall
11. Jam On It - Mos Def
12. Just You Wait - BoogieMan
13. Acknowledge - Masta Ace
14. Let Me Be - Punch & Words
15. It's Time - Hemisphere
16. Clear the Lane - Phil The Agony feat. Dafari
17. We Will - Lord Have Mercy
18. Yo! - Obie Trice
19. Truly Unique - Asheru & Blue Black
20. Holiday - Tahir
21. Perfectionists – Invincible feat. Helixx
22. Special Forces – Bahamadia feat. Planet Asia and Rasco
23. Curse On You - Quasimoto
24. The X (Y'all Know The Name) (D-Prosper Remix) - The X-ecutioners
25. Current Events – Mystic feat. DJ Revolution
26. I Love It - Young Zee feat. Rah Digga
27. Blazin' (Stay Building Eternal) - Rise & Shine
28. Smokey - The Bad Seed
29. Roll Out - D-Stroy
30. Good Luck Bad Luck - Richie Balance & Rack-Lo
31. Center Of Attention - San Quinn

The CD starts out with some impressive turntablism from DJ Spinbad, then eventually moves into “The Heat of the Moment” by Killah Priest, off the rapper’s latest LP Priesthood. I don’t know why they selected this track off that album, because it’s one of Priest’s more innocuous songs. Something a little edgier from him like “Witness the King” or “Theme Song” would have been more appropriate for this compilation.

After about a minute and a half of Killah Priest, Spinbad takes us to “Lounge Promo” performed by HOM. Over a bumping beat from Dart La, HOM spits a few bars about the Lyricist Lounge and it’s importance to underground Hip Hop. It’s a nice intro.

Fans may get excited by seeing song number 7’s title “Bisexual” performed by femcee Jane Doe, but you’re not going to hear any explicit porno-type of rhymes here. Jane raps about drug abuse like the illicit substances are women trying to seduce her, to “expand her mind”. She deals with the trauma caused by messing with Mary Jane (marijuana, of course), Ecstasy, Angie (angel dust), and Tabs (LSD), and raps about how the experiences with each “woman” caused her to graduate to the next one. It’s a very tight concept, and the relaxed, guitar-driven jazz track that 88 Keys creates blends with it very well. My only complaint is that this song is much too short. Hopefully she’ll do an extended version on her album.

The mighty Mos Def thankfully returns to the Lyricist Lounge on track 11, covering an old-school classic “Jam on It”. For the lyrics, Mos basically just freestyles, then gets into a short battle with one of the little “wikki wikki wikki wikki” guys. The rapper makes sure that unforgettable break beat stays intact for the track. “Jam on It” is one of the first singles from Underground Airplay.

Battles have always been an important staple in Hip Hop, so the arrangers made sure to include a good one on this CD. Tracks 12 and 13 are separate audio battles between BoogieMan and veteran Masta Ace. On Boogie’s single, “Just You Wait”, he rips Ace using jokes and clever punch lines over a light-hearted battle track produced by Nottz. Masta Ace spits much more seriously on his come-back, “Acknowledge”, relying on fierce lines and sharp put downs to put BoogieMan in his place. Personally, I think Boogie won, just because he went so deeply into Masta Ace’s history and discography to roast him.

I’m a huge Lord have Mercy fan, and he returns to the Lounge with the devastating “We Will” . For the track, producer Ice Pirate selects an epic “hero’s anthem” from some movie, complete with choir and blazing horns, then augments it with dominant percussion. Lord Have Mercy raps lyrics with a “we will survive” theme, even tossing in a short line about Osama Bin Laden. I had to loop this about a thousand times before moving on. I’ve said it before; Flipmode lost some heat when they allowed LHM to slip through their fingers.

Consider keeping a fire extinguisher next to your speakers for track 24, “The X (Y’all Know the Name)”. Battle DJ coalition The X-ecutioners, consisting of disc jocks Roc Raida, Mista Sinista, Total Eclipse and Rob Swift, and rappers Pharohe Monche, Wu-member Inspectah Deck, Xzibit, and Skillz (formerly MadSkillz) assemble to ignite the mic with killer cutting and fiery battle raps. From Deck’s lyrics, it sounds like he’s settling into the style that made his verse from “Triumph” almost legendary. If there’s a track these four can’t rip, I honestly haven’t heard it yet. D-Prosper puts together raw and gritty accompaniment for these emcees to vocalize over.

These handful of examples are only a few of the outstanding performances on this CD. In fact, the only track that disappointed me was “Same O.G.” by Casual. I expected much more from a member of the Hieroglyphics than these tired, “I’m on T.V. and CDs and everyone changing around me, but I’m still the same O.G.” rhymes. YAWN.

In my opinion, Underground Airplay is almost as good as the original Lyricist Lounge album. Though certainly not as original or classic, the quality of the performances is excellent, and unlike Lyricist Lounge Vol. 2, it actually features a wide array of underground emcees.

So, if you’re on the fence about buying this CD because of the commercial fiasco that was Lyricist Lounge Vol. 2, don’t worry. Underground Airplay Version 1.0 is definitely a step in the right direction. The performances are inspired, the production is excellent, and DJ Spinbad’s deejaying is deft and unobtrusive. The Lyricist Lounge strikes again.


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving