DJ-Kicks

by John Bush George Evelyn, one of the best production ears in trip-hop, came a bit late to the mix-album field (his volume in the series had actually been planned since 1995), but definitely came correct anyway. DJ-Kicks spins through a raft of nu-school hip-hop (Aim, Blackalicious, Freddy Fresh, Syrup, Type), classic old-school producers from A Tribe Called Quest ("Award Tour") to Kenny Dope ("Get on Down," "Superkat"), and tosses in a few of his own NoW tracks to boot. Just as supremely chilled as the best Nightmares on Wax material.