(RUN)

For many years now, the force in hip-hop radio on the West Coast has been The Wake Up Show, hosted by Sway & Tech. Now they're bringing the show to your CD player with This or That. When I say they're bringing the show, that's exactly what you'll hear (minus the commercials of course).

DJs and producers releasing mixtape style CDs seems to be a new trend in hip-hop right now. It started with Funkmaster Flex, then came Muggs of the Soul Assassins, DJ Clue and now Sway & Tech. This is a good thing for hip-hop right now, because the commercialization of the music has caused a split between MCs and DJs which these albums may be countering.

Production on this album is excellent. It's mostly mixed by DJ Revolution, and there are several songs on here that aren't new, but they are welcome additions, and fit seamlessly into the cypher. Witness "Above the Clouds," possibly the most slept on GangStarr tune of all time with Inspectah Deck, "Looking At the Front Door," a classic from Main Source and "Rework the Angles," from Dilated Peoples.

Unlike several albums of this type, the lyrics on this album are also excellent. Don't stop the album when the freestyles start, Sonja Blade RIPS it.

Tracks to check for: "Rework The Angles," "Above The Clouds," "Underground Tactics," with Heltah Skeltah, Crooked Eye & Planet Asia, "I Know You Got Soul," another classic from Rakim Allah. Also "Ego Trippin' 99" with Kool Keith & Motion Man, "3 To The Dome," with Big Daddy Kane, Chino XL and Kool G Rap.

The final verdict: Go get this album. You won't regret a single penny, there are killer tracks EVERYWHERE on this jawn.

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