Monsters of Rap
Monsters of rap, indeed. This uneven compilation brings together the best and worst blockbuster hip-hop hits from 1986 to 1992, and a few other, seemingly unrelated, songs. Inoffensive dancefloor numbers like Young MC's "Bust a Move" and DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince's "Parents Just Don't Understand" recall Sundays at the roller rink. But tracks like Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" and MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" are better forgotten, like acid-washed jeans. Some non-PG choices, such as Onyx's grimy "Slam" and Yo Yo's super "You Can't Play with My Yo-Yo," as well as lesser-known slices of funk such as 3rd Bass's "Pop Goes the Weasel" and A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario" provide a change of pace fromMonsters of Rap's overall sugar-coated poptastic flavor.--Lizz Mendez Berry