DJ Honda, one of the lesser known names of hip-hop in the United States, has certainly achieved greatness in his home country of Japan and other Asian and European countries. Honda is now becoming more popular in the United States with his CD DJ Honda H II.

Honda was born in Hokkaido, Japan and moved to Tokyo at age 17 to pursue his dream of playing in an American influenced rock band. He joined a band called Clique as the guitarist. However, the band struggled and Honda was forced to seek additional employment. He began DJing in a small nearby city where he was first introduced to hip hop music and various turntable techniques, including scratching. For Honda, the turntables offered a new creative outlet.

**Note above paragraph cited from www.djhonda.com
Just a little background information on Honda I thought was pertinent to this review because so few people have heard of him.

That creative outlet that arose in that young DJ has exploded into a lust and a passion as Honda has refined his skills and become a well known DJ. This CD definitely portrays his abilities well as he teams up with such prominent hip-hop names as De La Soul, Keith Murray, Syndicate, and Mos Def.

1.Roc Raida Intro: Feat Roc Raida In the intro Roc talks about how people want to test he and Honda's capabilities in regard to hip-hop. This song is mostly Honda scratching with a few words from Roc.

2.Trouble In The Water: Feat. De La Soul This song is one of my favorites on the album, it is a smooth beat where De La raps about growing up and how everything has changed since when he was young. Back before the rhyme I had reasons/To punch the kid who tried teasin' during lunch/It was a matter of pro-mo-ting de-cen-cy/But the 'de' and the 'cy' fell off, so I sinned/Again and again, until Jesus came down/Wait, I'm still sinning!/I guess he hasn't reached the ground...

3.5 Seconds: Feat. Black Attack Black tells how his skills are supreme and how he surpasses anyone who challenges him. I'll bury your words and crush your thoughts in a hurry/Mutilate your mental have your whole style up /First A and B reach your card out then I pull your file out/Stay on top of my game/Moves be stratigic /Battlin' don't f*** around I'll leave you paraplegic...

5.Every Now & Then: Feat. Syndicate This unique old school beat gives Syndicate an opportunity to rap about someone from the past.

6.Mista Sinista Interlude: Feat. Mista Sinista this is just what the title says, a short interlude where Sinista states, Sinista attacks upon those who lack the ability/Here to administer/Sinista attacks upon those who lack the ability/To finesse the b-beat...

7.Team Players: Feat. Doe-V & KRS One, a unique combination of artists, these two tell the listener how they need to stay together and be a team player if you want to succeed in this business. It's me again sober but never lonely with Doe V/Moving closely you got skills kid now show me/K the R the S is the teacher don't forget that/Challenging this could get your album date set back/Diplomatic this rap addict tunes out static/No we can't have it I spurt the verbal Magic like Mister...

8.For Every Day That Goes By: Feat. The Rawcotiks talk about how rough it was for them growing up. The violence in the streets and around their neighborhood was a regular occurrence and how they had to constantly struggle to survive. Now that they are past that they look back and try to help. For everyday that goes by I ask why/I had to struggle we had to struggle /To build somethin' out of nothin' we ain't frontin'/We known to keep the party jump your bass pumpin'...

19.Travellin' Man: Feat. Mos Def. My absolute favorite song on the CD, Mos as always comes up with profound, meaningful, touching lyrics. Mos talks he and other MC's constantly being on the move and not spending enough time with their families. He talks about how memories of his family will sustain him, through good and bad times, until he is able to return to his family. Well go 'head and leave/The call heard 'round the world from the wives of MC's...Memories don't live like people do/They always remember you/Whether things are good or bad, its just the memories/Memories don't live like people do-o/Baby don't forget me, I'm a travellin' man/Movin through places, space and time/Gotta lotta things i got to do/God willin' I'm comin back to you/My baby boo...

These are just a few good songs there are many more I will let you discover when you buy the CD.

Overall this CD is fantastic. The songs are nice and long and there are plenty of them (19 to be exact) with many different types of beats, rhymes, and artists to choose from. Honda is unique in the sense that no two of his beats, at least I think, sound like each other on this CD. They each use a different instrument, and have their own one of a kind qualities to them. Plenty of lyrics have a good, clear, definitive message to them that I feel is very important today because so many young people listen to hip-hop it becomes a major influence in their lives. To have positive messages like Honda does on his CD is essential because kids have young and impressionable minds, listening to this they believe what they hear and take it to be the truth. This CD certainly portrays Honda's abilities as a DJ very well and the fact that he has so many varied names in hip-hop, it only adds to the effect.

Please Check Out My Other Music Reviews:
Alicia Keys - Songs In A Minor
DJ Honda/Mos Def - Travellin' Man Single
Mos Def - Black On Both Sides
Mos Def and Talib Kweli - Blackstar
Talib Kweli - Quality
Talib Kweli - Reflection Eternal
The Roots - Do You Want More?!!!??!
White Lion - The Best Of White Lion

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Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving