Various – Soundbombing II

Completely unreal that it's 2024 and there's still no vinyl reissue of this available. This album is a certified classic.

- S T I L L B A N G I N G -

it's never been pressed because no one wants a mixtape on vinyl, they want the standalone songs on vinyl. that's why the mixes are on CD and cassette...

RAWKUS! Why has this never been pressed? Get on it!

A true to form feast of scratches, dope rhymes and beats, cut-ups, mixes, witty lyrics and crazy punch lines - you name it and it's right here - brought to you by a label which a decade ago was at the forefront of hip hop's underground movement. While the overall sound is never as awkward and introspective as that of, for example, the Anticon clique, and the production is not as experimental and, well, electronic, as if it came from El-P's lab, "Soundbombing II" flows with ease, delivering a total of 27 tracks, but in reality only two thirds of those are proper tracks, while the other numbers are transition points, used for DJ tricks and introducing tracks.
Anyways, for a walkman session while tagging your name through some subway stations, this one will come in more than handy. Some anthems, such as B-boy Document '99 and 1999, through to jaw dropping Eminem's Any Man and Pharoahe Monch's Mayor (he actually delivers with enough vigour to make me believe that his OK glory days are far from over). Now, Eminem, as much as he might be on your nerves today, this track predates his global explosion, and check it out how he slays the beat:
"I strike a still pose and hit you with some ill flows
that don't even make sense, like dykes using dildos
So reach in your billfolds, for ten ducats
and pick up this Slim Shady shit that's on Rawkus
Somethin somethin somethin, somethin I get weeded
My daughter scribbled over that rhyme, I couldn't read it
Damn!"
Damn is the right term here. I'd go as far and say he single handedly claims the crown here. But the all star cast doesn't end with his number. Virtually every name from Company Flow, Common, Dilated Peoples, Mos Def and the ressurected Sadat X, they are all here. Not every track shines with the same intensity, but that shouldn't trouble you. Every tune offers a good verse, to say the least, dope beats and two DJs (J-Rocc and Babu) having a great time. The only track I really wasn't convinced about was the Reflection Eternal and Bahamadia collaboration, but Talib Kweli isn't to blame for that, it is Bahamadia's irritant whisper and hopeless voice. Diamond's When It Rains It Pours is very misplaced as well. It is only two minutes long (short?), but doesn't fit in, being sorrounded by Mos Def and Common and Sadat X. Not only that, but his delivery falls behind the strong rhymes brought by previous MCs.
R.A. The Rugged Man's vocal performance doesn't really impress either, but his harsh and charismatic flow and tough rhyming style force you into submission. Company Flow come with a tune typical in their vein, with odd percussion and a rhyme pattern which jumps off any and all rules, guidelines.
Towards the end, there are two more lyrical gems, Next Universe by Mos Def and Reflection Eternal's On Mission. These two recorded a t album under the name Black Star I think, and listening to their separate tracks makes you want to buy that one immediately.
So, this is very worth owning, and is a fantastic ticket to enter the once promising and seemingly endless universe of underground hip hop. A lot of artists featured on this compilation have become globally known during the past decade, as for the other ones, I have no idea what on earth happenned to them. Regardless, "Soundbombing II" captures very fine moments in careers of around twenty artists, and a few of them have never gotten better than what is recorded here. If nothing else, the irritating "Evil Dee is on the mix come on kick it" catch phrase which plagued the first installation of Soundbombing, mixed by Evil Dee, has been thankfully kicked out, so has
the DJ in question, and in replacement two heavy weight veterans have been hired; J-Rocc and Babu, which turned out as a great choice. Get this!