The X-Ecutioners
dropped one of their best tracks on a
Playstation 2
video game
soundtrack
, 2003's
SSX 3
. A lively, robotic number that showed the DJs were really thinking out of the box,
"Like This"
returns on the group's 2004 full-length
Revolutions
, and it's got some worthy company. Rapping at full force,
Ghostface
's appearance on
"Live from the PJs"
makes for the other instant highlight.
Roots
man
Black Thought
goes round for round with
, and the rickety looping of
7th Wonder
's
"Daisy Lady"
seals the deal. Lyrically nailing it on
"Back to Back,"
Saigon
and
Scram Jones
are the unknown finds of the album. The
B Real
,
Dead Prez
, and
Fat Joe
tracks are all true
hip-hop
and very welcome. The more
pop
-oriented bits of the album -- a redo of
"More Human Than Human"
with
Rob Zombie
Slug
"Let Me Rock"
punk
-
rapper
Start Trouble
-- don't fare as well, but they're flashy fun and good for a listen or two. The skits are hilarious (the one about bootlegging
The Best of Lillo Thomas
especially) and the scratching is tight, often acting as a funky, "wacka-wacka" guitar or just plain sounding like madness. As producers the boys have come far and the album is paced well, winding down with some smoky, deep numbers. The just fair
tracks keep it from being classic, but this is the best the talented team has sounded on record yet. ~ David Jeffries