This is an important album right here. DJs getting album deals seemed to be a thing of the past but with this project Statik Selektah is poised to kick down some doors and show the potential that this type of album has. I've never met Statik Selektah but I did see him in action at last years mixtape awards; one of the only DJs who was working the line outside the Apollo passing out free CDs. It's that type of work ethic and desire to make it, that got this project seeing the light of day a year later. Congratulations to that man...the grind continues.

What album you know right now has Styles P, Talib Kweli, Joell Ortiz, Kool G. Rap, Sheek, AZ, Scram Jones, Cormega, Uncle Murda, Termanology, M.O.P, Skyzoo, Freeway, Cassidy, Royce 5' 9", Slum Village, Alchemist, Q-Tip and Doug E Fresh to name a few? I know right, you look at those MCs and you go..."damn".

I think its fitting Termanology and Premier lace the intro. Termanology basically breaks down each MC that's featured on here in a rhyme...never heard anything like it before...dope concept. "Stop, Look, Listen" with Styles, Term and Q-Tip got that mid 80's "St. Elsewhere" vibe going on. Q-Tip gets at these "young" MCs and dropped some well needed advice. One listen to Termanology's word play on "Express Yourself '08" and you still can't fathom why dude hasn't been scooped up by a major label...he doesn't need one anyway. I'm not gonna go as far as to say he's the next Nas but he's damn close with the potential. The cuts is lovely man on "6 In The Morning"...I love hooks like that. What can I say about Joell Ortiz, Kool G Rap and Sheek on the same track? Peep the picture Sheek paints tho; he brought his "A" game to the booth. I know you've heard "Bam Bam"...Red Cafe pimp slapped the shit outta that beat. They freaked the sample in the "G Shit" (Showoff Mix) too. This is a good sound for Uncle Murda he needs to build on that. I'm a lyrical cat so don't be surprised when I tell you my favorite joint is "Back Against The Wall" with Cormega and Royce 5' 9". Shit just all came together for me on this one...beat, bars and life man. You gotta love it! You wanna talk about creativity on the beat? Peep Big Shug on "Punch Out". I'm not gonna give you too much about this joint but lets just say Glass Joe ain't got nothing on Big Shug; crazy how they flipped this one. The true sleeper of this whole project is "Talk To Me". The joint features three MCs on the rise to keep MIC skills alive. Jon Hope, Reks and Skyzoo. I had to rewind this a couple times to "get" all these cats were saying.

You know I left out some jewels on the highlights, can't give you all of it people. Ring tone rap this project is not and it's about time we got something to sink our teeth into as true hip hop fans. This CD is how Statik Selektah hears hip hop. You hear the influences in the production and formula...Pete Rock, Premier, the '88 hip hop era, mad cuts on the hooks ect. This is one of the rare projects that defines a time in your life. What I mean is when you cop this on Nov.6th and you find that track(s) that you run back to back to back it becomes your theme music for the fourth quarter 2007 and as "life" happens around the music it becomes ingrained in your soul. Five years down the line you hear a cut off here and it brings you right back to the fall of 2007...and that is what music is all about. (10/25/07)