Compilation; No Rating Given

    Just like the first Chrome Children Project, this album acts as a brief introduction to the majority of the Stones Throw roster. The big names get just as much shine as the lesser-knowns, with everyone except Madlib getting just one track to show and prove. The production styles go way beyond hip-hop, so all you boom bap traditionalists should stop reading now and go check if we have any Gang Starr re-releases. Most of the songs could be classified as hip hop, but there’s also plenty of funk, jazz and break beats to keep things moving.

    This is one of the few Stones Throw mixes that doesn’t feature Madlib on nearly every production credit. His two instrumental tracks “Selah’s Children” and “Chrome Dreams” sound like the last 100+ beats he’s released under the Beat Konducta moniker, but this shit is still farm fresh. His only other appearance is on the Jazzistics track “Marcus, Martin, and Malcolm” which features the blunted abstract jazz sound that Stones Throw has championed in recent years.

     Speaking of getting blunted, the psychedelic scorcher of a beat that Four Tet drops on “Money Motivated Movements” is tailor made for those days the forecast in your dorm room is ‘extra cloudy with a chance of the munchies’. Just make sure you aren’t so stoned you miss the lyrics from Detroit’s man of the moment, Guilty Simpson, who drops raw heat as usual. More street talk can be heard on Roc C’s “Living for the City” which features production from Oh No. Throwing current trends to the wayside, Oh No lets the beautiful vocal sample play at a reasonable speed, and I couldn’t be happier. If I hear one more chipmunk diva Kanye knock-off I’m going to the trunk to pull them thangs out.

     On the funk tip, James Pants and Gary Wilson each deliver some uptempo loveliness with “Murder” and “Soul Traveling” respectively. Chocolate Star (aka Gary Davis) finds his groove on “Stay With Me” which features some nice key work and belongs on all of your late night playlists. (Not the one with Jodeci on it, the one you listen to when you’re falling asleep.) Meanwhile, J.Rocc takes a break from slicing and dicing funk 45′s to drop “Bubbha’s Dance”. The walking bassline is f-f-f-fresh and he hits us in a soft spot by cutting in a Dilla vocal sample during the bridge. Other notable cuts include Baron Zen’s “Theme” and Clifford Nyren’s “Keep Running Away”.

     Some of you might be upset that Stones Throw’s biggest star, MF Doom, didn’t make the album, but if you are dying for new material from the super villain, he’ll probably release three full lengths before Christmas. This mix is far more consistent than the first Chrome Children release, reinforcing Stones Throw’s role as a trendsetter in left-field urban music. If you react to jazz like the rednecks in Talladega Nights, this album is not for you, but if your record collection goes beyond hip hop this is a welcome addition to your stash.