Prior to the release of Boston-raised Statik Selektah’s Stick to the Script, 2008 had already been a stellar year for DJ compilations. Recent releases from Jake One, DJ Babu and DJ Revolution harkened back to the genre’s mid ’90s glory years, the decade that gave birth to Funkmaster Flex and DJ Clue.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, a scan of Script’s track listing reveals Selektah’s admiration for gritty New York City rap, with M.O.P., Jadakiss, Redman and Black Rob all popping up to slay their respective guest appearances. Though mostly in thrall to the sonic school spawned by the five boroughs, Stick to the Script does manage a few diversions, exhibiting geographic diversity with posse cuts from Houston (”Get Out the Way”), Philadelphia (”All 2gether Now”), Boston (”Streets of M.A.”) and the West Coast (”Cali Nights.)”
Moreover, Selektah is careful to avoid making this a pure exercise in nostalgia, enlisting New Schoolers Joell Ortiz, Peedi Crakk, Termanalogy and Little Brother. While Selektah’s beats typically hew to the ’90s East Coast formula (eerie minor keys, grimy drum patterns and soul-splashed horn parts), the current-Brooklyn resident intuitively understands how to play to each MCs’ strengths while making sure they avoid complacency. Cumulatively, the effort amounts to one of the year’s best DJ compilations, one that looks backwards without resorting to empty nostalgia.
Download:
MP3: Statik Selektah ft. Freeway, Young Chris, & Peedi Crakk-”All 2Gether Now”
MP3: Statik Selektah ft. Bun B & Cory Mo-”Get Out the Way”
Stumble It!
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December 5th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
I don’t know if you edit your writing or whatever, but me personally I wouldn’t start a paragraph with a sentence that has ‘nostalgia’ in it and end it with a sentence that has ‘nostalgia’ in it, especially given that both sentences are making exactly the same point.
December 5th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Edit my writing? That’s unpossible.
December 5th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Yeah, I’m writing a law review essay, it’s 62 pages in Word already, probably would be a hundred published. I have no idea how to cut it down.
December 5th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
It’s all about the magic of 11 font.
December 5th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
I mean, law reviews kinda publish everything in the same font size. It would be cool though if they put my article in 9 point and no one read it.
December 6th, 2008 at 9:40 am
It would be cool if you put your comments in 0 point font and they didn’t exist.
December 6th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
M.O.P. appeared on White Van Music, Duck Season 3 and now this, their making a comeback
also-nice post
December 6th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
It would be cool, but it would be even cooler if your shitty band didn’t exist.
December 7th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Disco Vietnam is not a shitty band.