Duck Season 1
Ex-Beat  JunkieandDilated Peoplesrefugee Babu takes the time-honored hip-hop tradition of the master mix and  twists it up a bit. A well-traveled and well-respected man, the Los Angeles  turntablist is an emcee's DJ who got his start during the early '90s, a fact  reflected inDuck Season, Vol. 1's almost lazily nostalgic selection.   Overall, the production work reigns supreme over fairly mediocre lyricism.  However, the album's old-school feel is strengthened by Babu's tight mixing  skills. Not only are the songs well blended, he actually chops things up a bit  with a taste of cut 'n' scratch and some nice backspin techniques. Random  snippets of dialogue and sound effects tie into theDuck Seasontheme.  New York is repped to full effect by solid cuts fromBumpy Knuckles,M.O.P., and theBeatnuts, while  Phil Da Agony andJurassic 5hold  it down for the West.--Rebecca Levine