As far as hip-hop is concerned, the last decade has been disappointing. While many… As far as hip-hop is concerned, the last decade has been disappointing. While many individuals find comfort in artists such as Puff Daddy – P. Daddy? P. Diddy? What’s his moniker nowadays? – it’s much more difficult to find the artists who will make you sit back and realize that they are doing it for the pure love of the music, the scene and the culture.For those of you confused by this point, hip-hop is not just a musical movement. It is, indeed, its own culture with its own fashions, much like those of yuppies, preps, or punks, with its own discerning musical tastes. The difference between hip-hop and rap is much like that between punk and pop-punk. This compilation is a fine example of what hip-hop truly is: the underground love of rhyming words. However, it is missing some essentials that could have made this good record a great one.

The samples are tight, and the acts are smooth, but the production is not so silky. The compilation features artists whose music is very bass-heavy, which, in itself, is very acceptable. But when it drowns out some of the rhymes, which are what hip-hop thrives on, it gets to be problematic. For example, on “World Cup,” by Oz, the sample distorts on the chorus where it should merely accentuate his already well-delivered skill, rather than break any sort of rhythm and head bob that may be occurring.

For a local effort, this is still surprisingly good, as the lyricisms are very intelligent, without the usual mindless content that you’ll find in most mainstream rap today. It’s a refreshing look into some artists that may not be getting deserved credit, much like the aforementioned Oz. The only other nitpick to make is that this record clocks in just around the 30-minute mark. It’s disappointing that there’s only a half hour of music available on a compilation, seeing how these artists do have plenty of skill.

A recommendation to future compilers of music: people like to buy comps because they want to hear a lot of music, not just a few songs. They could have allowed these artists to have two cuts, which would give a much better sampling of their flow and feel. But on the upside, this compilation does showcase some fine, local talent from Pittsburgh and the East Coast, and is worth a listen if you have a half hour to spare in your day.