Soundbombing 3
Despite rumors of untimely demise, Rawkus is alive and kicking, rolling out the third installment of its laudedSoundbombingseries. This time, NY's Cipha Sounds and LA's Mr. Choc mix the exclusive underground ingredients.SoundbombingIIIgoes easy on the turntable tricknology, which is something of a missed opportunity, given how wicked either DJ can get.Then again, this keeps the focus on the music, andSoundbombing IIIprovides a provocative window into Rawkus' current underground aesthetics. Gone is the hard-knock funk edge, replaced by smooth, soulful flows. Among the better examples are Zap Mama's "Yelling Away" featuring Common and Talib Kweli, a collabo so naturally obvious that it's surprising they hadn't worked together before. Q-Tip breaks from his neo-soul dabblings to bring back his familiar flow and sting lovely on "What Lies Beneath," while Skillz joins forces with Missy Elliott and Kandi for the "Rapper's Delight"-flavored "Crew Deep."On the iffy end, Mos Def's "Freak Daddy" is a chaotic mesh, Kool G Rap's fuzz-funk "My Life" is another setback on his comeback trail and the Beatnuts' "The Trouble Is" is as disastrous as the name suggests. Like many mixtapes,Soundbombing IIIcan be frustratingly uneven, but there are gems amidst the rubble.Oliver Wang--From URB Magazine