After several years of substandard hip-hop becoming an accepted standard, 1999 started raising the bar again. No longer is it quite so easy for wack MCs to get over on bullshit beats. While the radio makes certain it stays well behind what is current in the scene, it seems that hip-hop fans at least are finally becoming more discerning. The long awaited debut album from Spontaneous is one that should do nothing but elevate peoples standards even more.

First off, I should admit that I slept on this album for a while myself. I had heard a lot of hype about Spontaneous, and several people had told me that I needed to check the album, but it's not always the easiest joint to find. Imagine my surprise when I finally got a copy, popped it in my CD player, and was utterly unable to remove it for the next 4 days. There aren't many albums I can bump over and over in succession, but Spur Of The Moment Musik is definitely one of those. Spontaneous proves here that he's a true hip-hop representative. His written rhymes are skillful, intelligent and thought-provoking, and he's also a talented improvisor as he proves on several skits.

Production on this album refuses to fall into formula, sample-heavy traps. Instead, Spontaneous and Relative, who produced, engineered and mixed all the tracks provide innovative sounds. Every track stands on its own as well as working together with the rest of the songs on the album. This is no mean feat, considering the amount of variety present.

Lyrically this is one of the best albums I've heard in a long time. Spontaneous is completely unafraid to innovate, which is probably the reason this album is on a relatively small label. I can't see many major labels taking a chance on this magnum opus, and it's too bad, because it deserves every bit of exposure it can get and then some. Spon's lyrics are insightful, funny and engaging, and his style varied enough that there's no chance of getting bored. Guest lyricists are present, but not overpowering. Xzibit, the T-Dot's own Saukrates, Rock of Heltah Skeltah, Bahamadia and Kurtis Blow represent the "big names." Other guest spots are handled by Roman Numeral and Xtrakrdt of Dislexsik, Asthete, who provides some spoken word as well as a verse. Don't forget the DJs either. Revolution, Drez and Phyz Ed provide the cuts.

What really sets this album apart from others though is its willingness to innovate and take chances. Spon's skits give the listener a glimpse into his creative process, showing how seriously he takes his music. It's this seriousness that coupled with cleverness, a sharp wit and sense of humour and intelligent subject matter that elevates this album above the average release. You get the impression listening to this joint that Spontaneous is not satisfied with anything less than musical perfection.

This dedication shines through, making it difficult to pin down tracks to check for. The entire album is so strong, it's likely that people's favourite tracks will depend largely on personal preference. There is NO filler material here. That said, my personal favourites are probably: "Reprezen'n" featuring Xzibit, Saukrates and DJ Drez, "Srv1" featuring Tash of Tha Alkaholiks, "Touch This," with a bouncy bassline that is guaranteed to have your body moving grooving underneath a "bloopy" high end, "Quiet On The Set!" featuring Rock of Heltah Skeltah in which the two MCs demonstrate an amazing chemistry and "Transmit" in which Roman Numeral & Xtrakrdt help "Cool Daddy Cat" with one of his "crazy skits." Finally, Phone Tag (part 1) juxtaposes these two intensely gifted MCs in a track that will leave you waiting impatiently for part 2, which will hopefully be on Bahamadia's upcoming BB Queen EP.

The final verdict: This album is likely to sit next to Roots Manuva's Brand New Second Hand for some time in heavy rotation. If you love this thing we call hip-hop, do yourself a large favour and pick up this classic in the offing. You will not be disappointed, as every effort has been put into making sure that this album lived up to its hype. You may have your favourites, but you won't need to skip tracks because you don't like them. A solid run from beginning to end. This CD is sure to take up residence in your rotation.