anyone who knows rawkus and its history as perhaps the greatest underground hip-hop label of the last 15 years knows that this compilation is not an acceptable representation of what rawkus brought to the table.
are the songs on this CD good? for the most part, yeah . . . if you're looking for a mos def greatest hits record. but that's not what this is being marketed as.
this release is clearly little more than a despicable money grab by geffen--the label that, by the way, took over rawkus and then discontinued it all together. this album is relevant only to the extent that it's an affront to a once-great label that reached spectacular heights during an era when mainstream hip-hop was all puffy and no passion.
do yourself a favor and hit up your local record store for any old rawkus 12-inch singles you can find. pick up soundbombing I. listen to the blackstar album at the moment when you are most frustrated with the current state of hip-hop. bask in the talent and in the real, official glory of rawkus circa 1997 or 1998.
but, whatever you do, don't buy this lazy, disrespectful compilation.