The Beat Junkies: The World Famous Beat Junkies, Vol. 2 : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Turntablism is to hip-hop what free jazz is to bebop: It breaks down established forms in search of greater expression. The problem is, cuttin' 'n' scratchin' can get pretty wanky if nothing else is going on. L.A.'s Beat Junkies, a thirteen-person DJ team that has topped the International Turntablist Federation spin-offs two years running, avoid that problem on this double CD by letting rappers get words in edgewise. It's not unlike a Funkmaster Flex CD mix, but instead of rap hits and freestyle cameos, Beat Junkies make like Benihana chefs with prime underground cuts, showcasing new-schoolers like Slum Village, Jurassic 5, Mos Def and Dilated Peoples with fringe vets like Tha Alkaholiks and Divine Styler. DJ Rhettmatic's mix is proudly low-fi and superfreaky, with reverb, bass EQ and flanging controls all set on stun. Aimless radio-show patter slows things down, but mostly it's wheels-of-steel hot rodding at its best. (RS 804)

WILL HERMES