The British deejay-as-superstar mentality meets the global domination of American R&B and hip-hop on this compilation that celebrates Radio 1 presenter (the UK term for disc jockey) Trevor Nelson as he fills two disc with the multiple shades of crooning R&B, contemporary diva soul, and party laden hip-hop. Disc one focuses on upbeat jams by hip-hop superstars Noriega, Big Punisher and Jay-Z dispersed between entertaining productions by Monifah, which samples the beat from Laid Back's "White Horse," and Mc Lyte who gets her own cutting edge beats courtesy of the Neptunes. Disc two is more smoothed out affair with butter soft Brian McKnight failing to compete with old and new diva queens Aretha Franklin and Lauryn Hill, who join forces on "A Rose is Still a Rose." House music makes a slight appearance with Masters at Work's "I Can't Get No Sleep," although the featured mix is slowed down to standard R&B tempo. The idea of R&B being presented as something more than Top 40 fodder is a novel concept. Unfortunately, the tracks are sequenced with standard two-second CD breaks between them and one track doesn't necessarily lead to the next with any sort of continuity. When compared to INCredible's other releases, including the masterfully assembled mix by Gilles Peterson, this particular edition has all the impact of Now, Vol. 325. In fact, the thinly veiled illusion that Trevor Nelson will somehow bring out something special in these standard urban music cuts makes the whole sham more insulting. Perhaps it's a British thing, but any compilation featuring "Whoop, There It Is" is in need of serious re-evaluation. ~ Joshua Glazer, All Music Guide
Tracks
CD 1
Track Title
Composers
Performers
Time
Westside [Radio Version]
Joe Sample, Robert Ford, Jr., James Moore, R. Simmons, L. Michael Smith, K. Walker, Femi Ojetunde, Terence "TQ" Quaites, Mike Mosley
Wayne Lawes (Producer), Terry Lewis (Producer), Lynden David Hall (Producer), Andrew Smith (Guitar), Dallas Austin (Producer), Noreaga (Vocals), Terry Lewis (Executive Producer), Troy Werth (Assistant Engineer), Big Punisher (Executive Producer), Destiny's Child (Performer), Jimmy Jam (Producer), Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez (Producer), Jay-Z (Performer), Gerry DeVeaux (Executive Producer), Kleshay (Performer), Russ Elavado (Producer), Men of Vizion (Performer), Dallas Austin (Arranger), Dodge (Producer), Femi Fem (Producer), Monifah (Vocals), Comme Ci Comme Ca (Vocal Arrangement), Envyi (Performer), Jimmy Jam (Executive Producer), Wendy Ingram (Vocals (Background)), Lenny Santiago (Producer), KP & Envyi (Vocals), Lauryn Hill (Producer), Paul J. Falcone (Producer), Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez (Mixing), Matt Life (Executive Producer), Terrence Frierson (Vocals (Background)), Tag Team (Vocals), Masters at Work (Performer), Deborah Cox (Vocals), Lynden David Hall (Vocals), Gerald LeVert (Performer), Wayne Lawes (Engineer), Brian Gardner (Mastering), Damon Dash (Producer), Steve Hodge (Mixing), Don McKinzie (Production Service), Gwen McCrae (Vocals), Funkmaster Flex (Executive Producer), Wayne Lawes (Mixing), Johnathan Shorten (Keyboards), Don McKinzie (Digital Sequencing), Q-Tip (Mixing), Jack Knight (Producer), Q-Tip (Producer), Kenton Nix (Producer), Funkmaster Flex (Producer), "Little" Louie Vega (Mixing), Mica Paris (Vocals), Richard Travali (Mixing), Kobie (Producer), "Little" Louie Vega (Producer), Paul Poli (Producer), Tina Arena (Concept), Sounds of Blackness (Vocals (Background)), Wayne Lawes (Bass), Chico DeBarge (Producer), El DeBarge (Producer), Harry O'Brien (Production Service), Brian McKnight (Vocals), Tatyana Ali (Vocals), Bon Garçon (Vocal Arrangement), Lauryn Hill (Arranger), Jon B. (Vocals), Devox (Vocals), Groove Theory (Vocals), Core Cotton (Vocals), Richard Travali (Engineer), Sam Bryant (Groomer), Poke & Tone (Producer), Corey Rooney (Keyboards), Ann Bennett-Nesby (Vocals), Ted Wohlsen (Mixing), Andy Metcalfe (Production Service), Kyambo "Hip Hop" Joshua (Producer), Patricia Lacy (Vocals), Dodge (Mixing), The Brand New Heavies (Vocals), Pharrell Williams (Producer), P. Jervier (Producer), Mint Condition (Clapping), Michelob (Producer), Poke & Tone (Drum Programming), Kenton Nix (Arranger), Kevin Thomas (Mixing), The Ummah (Producer), Chad Hugo (Producer), Wayne Lawes (Drum Programming), Bob Thomas (Vocals (Background)), Bradley Yost (Engineer), Dodge (Engineer), Mark the 45 King (Producer), Tammy Payne (Vocals), Steve Jervier (Producer), Bon Garçon (Performer), Billy Osborne (Producer), Ken Ifill (Producer), Fat Joe (Executive Producer), Chico DeBarge (Vocals), Jessica Rosenblum (Executive Producer), Black Eyed Peas (Performer), Screwface (Producer), Lauryn Hill (Vocals (Background)), Will Adams (Producer), Miranda Robson (Stylist), Kareem "Biggs" Burke (Producer), Ghost Town DJ's (Performer), TQ (Vocals), Mervyn Africa (Keyboards), David Rideau (Mixing), Soundboy (Engineer), Gary Hines (Producer), Aretha Franklin (Vocals), Shawn Carter (Producer), Darrell "Delite" Allamby (Producer), Corey Rooney (Producer), Jay Dee (Instrumentation), Willie Max (Vocals (Background)), Don McKinzie (Digital Editing)
