Rawkus has come in for a lot of criticism since entering music’s major
league under the wing of MCA. However, their new mix album Soundbombing III
proves that Rawkus can still deliver the goods - so let’s not shoot the
messenger.
If Rawkus has stepped up a level, then so too have the artists they helped
break, and who continue to feature on the label - with Mos Def, Talib Kweli
and Pharoahe Monch all appearing on Soundbombing III. The music hasn’t
changed, it’s just that the stakes have been raised for the artists and the
label alike.
Cipha Sounds and Mr Choc take control of the decks, but in all honesty your
granny could have been on mixing duty and Soundbombing III would still have
sounded good. The stars of the show are the genuine hip-hop heavyweights who
provide the tracks.
Kool G Rap, aided by Capone-n-Noreaga, provides the slamming remix of My
Life which easily eclipses the original version, while Skillz (formerly Mad
Skillz) ropes in Missy Elliott and Kandi on Crew Deep, which features a
classic Sugarhill Gang break.
The first single from the album, The Life by Styles P and Pharoahe Monch is
a true banger, with Monch on chorus duty waxing lyrical about the importance
of hip-hop in his life. Every track on the album is capable of being a
single, which possibly gives an idea of the demands now placed on Rawkus by
their new bosses.
The presence of true legends such as The Roots, The Beatnuts and A Tribe
Called Quest’s Q-Tip all prove that once the dust has settled it will become
apparent that Rawkus made the right decision moving in with MCA- a place
where budget is obviously less of an object, but the need to shift units is
not.
www.rawkus.com
Reviewed
by Fraser Syme
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