Hip Hop Forever

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This awesome release caps a great year for hip hop. We've been spoilt with incredible turntablism (Mixmaster Mike, DJ Disk, Peanut Butter Wolf), a stunning series from Rawkus (Live At Lyricist Lounge, Mos Def and Talib Kweli, CoFlow's return), the popular success of the Jurassic 5, and a strong showing from the UK (Fat City's Mystic Brew, Req, Ice, Scratch Perverts) and now this. Anticipation levels have been rising steadily since word got out that BBE were following their successful Little Louie Vega mix with a Kenny Dope Gonzalez hip hop set. As with the Vega mix, this is indeed a Master at Work, a consummate professional whose history is intertwined with that of hip-hop. From running mobile sound-systems at neighbourhood block parties to the international success of the Nuyorican Soul project, Kenny Dope is pretty well-placed to document 1988-94's hip hop - years in which the first wave of this music developed afresh under the inspiration of the crews represented here: Kool G Rap ("Ill Street Blues"); Jeru the Damaja ("Come Clean"), Jungle Brothers ("Straight Out The Jungle"), Black Sheep ("Flava Of The Month"), Method Man ("Bring The Pain"), Gangstarr ("DWYCK"), EPMD ("You Gots To Chill") etcetera. This fantastic collection of raw material is foregrounded by generally understated but flawless mixing, though a couple of mixes are genuinely memorable: "I Got It Made's" heavy-duty riff emerging from De La Soul/Tribe's "She Fe MCs"; EPMD into the Jungle Brothers via Kool & The Gang; as well as the musicianly skill with which Kenny Dope drives the set along. The vinyl is available unmixed, and the beautifully packaged CDs contain both the mixed set and the unmixed tracks. After BBE's previous hip hop history lesson "It Will Take A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back", this is another fine release from this class label.