(RUN)

Swel, D-Stroy, Freestyle, Jise-1, and Q-Unique make up the Arsonists, an extremely gifted group of hip-artists. They also support and participate in all 4 elements of hip-hop culture: emceeing, deejaying, break, and graf.

The first thing that catches you in the sheer level of lyrical mastery demonstrated on this album. Each member of the group demonstrates illness with many different styles. Witness Q-Unique going on "Rhyme Time Travel," taking listeners through the history of rhyme. Or see a "Lunchroom Take-Out," as Swel and GR8Scott battle over a table break.

After studying the music a little, one also notices how varied the production on the album is. It goes from minimalist breaks to sonic jungles with too many layers to pierce fully. It becomes even more amazing once you realize that they kept the production entirely within the crew. Basically, this album is all Arsonists, beginning to end. With some other groups or soloists out there, this could be a bad thing, but the Arsonists have enough talent to release entire albums of dopeness.

There are drawbacks to this album. Many of these tracks have been previously released on 12". This means that for many of the most devoted heads, many of these songs are old. The up side is that songs this good don't fade.

Tracks to check for: "Backdraft," "Pyromaniax," "Venom," "Rhyme Time Travel," "Live To Tell," "Seed," "Lunchroom Take-Out," and "Halloween."

The final verdict: A hip-hop classic in the making, although many will sleep. Don't miss out on this one.

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