Search - Babu: Dilated Junkie :: Duck Season 1

Ex-Beat Junkie and Dilated Peoples refugee Babu takes the time-honored hip-hop tradition of the master mix and twists it up a bit. A well-traveled and well-respected man, the Los Angeles turntablist is an emcee's DJ who got his start during the early '90s, a fact reflected in Duck Season, Vol. 1's almost lazily nostalgic selection. Overall, the production work reigns supreme over fairly mediocre lyricism. However, the album's old-school feel is strengthened by Babu's tight mixing skills. Not only are the songs well blended, he actually chops things up a bit with a taste of cut 'n' scratch and some nice backspin techniques. Random snippets of dialogue and sound effects tie into the Duck Season theme. New York is repped to full effect by solid cuts from Bumpy Knuckles, M.O.P., and the Beatnuts, while Phil Da Agony and Jurassic 5 hold it down for the West. --Rebecca Levine