Sometimes you just need some good ol’ no frills hip-hop. No big booty chicks, no thugs, no guns, no bling-bling, no 24-inch rims with spinners, no Bentley, no shiny suits, no throwbacks, or definitely no shit for the grown and sexy. You just need hip-hop from the roots, minus the camera tricks. What Halftooth has done, is brought together an ensemble of artists who represent that ideal, and released a compilation called You Don’t Know The Half. Spotlighting artists such as Talib Kweli, J-Live, Wordsworth, and Little Brother, while giving more shine to new names like Oddisee and Kenn Starr, Halftooth is making a conscious effort to give you that good ol’ hip-hop just how it was meant to be.
 
      As stated before, You Don’t Know The Half thrusts well known artists into the spotlight, such as when J-Live thumps through his solo joint “Who Do You Call “. The great thing is that when these artists fire off their trademark styles, producer Oddissee is behind
the boards, with impressive results, handling more than half the production on the compilation. Instead of having in house producer 9th Wonder managing their musical backdrops on “Long Time Comin”, Phonte and Big Pooh employ Oddisee, who doesn’t miss a beat, creating the perfect atmosphere for 2/3 of Little Brother to rock over. Other highlights include Wordsworth (can we get a solo album, yo?!?) on the ridiculous “Here We Go Again”, as Words spits about the cycle of the streets. Be sure to check his amazing third verse as Words laments how gossip is easily misinterpreted and can result in a dismal conclusion. Meanwhile, Talib Kweli and Asheru join Kenn Starr on the smoothed out sounds of “If”, as all three emcees speak on the ways of the world.
 
     When the newer artists snatch the mic the results are solid. Oddisee proves his talent on the both sides of the boards on his solo joints “Brother” and “Yes Y’all.” Kenn Starr stands firm alongside Oddisee on the throbbing “This is Hip-Hop” and the duo hook up with J-Live to trade verses on “Quest to Find”. Not to be missed are Oddisee’s two mellow instrumental interludes and Ishlab’s jazzy outro sealing the deal.
 
     Though not flawless (“Everyday Campaign” and “Concrete Steps”) You Don’t Know the Half is an extremely solid project. Focusing on what makes hip-hop wholesome is executed to a tee, and Halftooth Records is well on their way to making a name for themselves. So when heads tire of all the Escalades, throwbacks, and club hopping, they know that they always have a place to lend an ear with this release. Good ol’ Hip-Hop is something that Halftooth proves they can provide and it’s only a matter of time when all will appreciate.