By Eric K. Arnold

A HIP- hop problem: You buy a full-length album by the Crackpipe Boys or MC Pay-Me, only to discover that outside of one song you've heard on the radio, the rest of the LP is B.S. – it basically sucks.

Hip-hop comps: a selective sample Beats and Rhymes: Hip Hop of the '90s (Rhino) An essential three-volume gathering of songs from 1990-92, moving from the end of the Afrocentric era to the beginnings of the jiggy period. Chuck D Presents Louder than a Bomb (Rhino) Includes political rap from Jeru the Damaja, Paris, Jungle Brothers, X-Clan, and (of course) Public Enemy. Deep Concentration (Om) The album that gave the turntablist movement some depth. Def Jam Music Group 10 Year Anniversary (Def Jam) Despite questionable sequencing, this four-CD extravaganza is loaded with classics. Deep South Hustlers and West Coast Bad Boyz (No Limit) These comps put Master P on the map and paved the way for rap's Southern uprising. Electro-Funk (Priority) The first volume contains Twilight 22's "Electric Kingdom," while the second features World Class Wreckin Cru's "Surgery." Fat Beats and Brastraps (Rhino) A long-overdue compilation of female MCs, including the inimitable Roxanne Shante. The Funky Precedent (No Mayo) This collection of socially conscious West Coast artists foreshadowed impending major-label releases by Jurassic 5 and Dilated Peoples. Future Shock All-Stars: Back 2 the Future (Future Shock) One of the better Japanese rap collections, featuring Zeebra, K-Dub, Shine, and Soulscream. La Haine (Delabel) This soundtrack to the 1995 film established French rap as the most advanced of any country outside the United States. Hi Phat Diet (Wild Pitch) Includes "Live at the BBQ" (Nas's first time on wax) and the Coup's "Dig It." Hip Hop Classics (Priority) Two volumes of hits, from "La-Di-Da-Di" to "Straight outta Compton." Hip-Hop Reggae (VP) Patois-laden odes to ganja and Jah flow over remixed rudeboy rhythms. History of Miami Bass (Cold Front) Grand grooves like Run-D.M.C.'s "Together Forever," Mantronix's "Fresh Is the Word," Hashim's "Al Naafyish," and Grandmaster Flash's "Scorpio" place bass music mainstays Magic Mike and 2 Live Crew in a broader context. Lyricist Lounge Vol. 1 (Rawkus) High-quality "underground" material from Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Mike Zoot, Q-Tip, and Tash. Old School Rap (Thump) Twisting the cover of Volume 3 to make the hologram of Grandmaster Flash cut it up on the wheels of steel is almost as much fun as reliving jams like "The Vapors" and "Bust a Move." Pass the Mic: The Posse Album (Priority) A thematic compilation of multiple-artist tracks notable for the Native Tongue extended family's appearance on De La Soul's "Buddy" and the Juice Crew's archetypal "The Symphony." The Perfect Beats (Tommy Boy) The first three volumes of this series re-create the Danceteria vibe, mixing hip-hop with freestyle, electro, house, funk, and soul. Project Blowed (Project Blowed/B-Boy Kingdom) Fabled Southern Cali collection featuring the Heavyweights camp (Freestyle Fellowship and others). Return of the DJ (Bomb) The album that launched the turntablist movement. Soundbombing 2 (Rawkus) An improvement over the first installment that markets the street-level mix-tape aesthetic. Street Beat (Rhino) One of the original rap comps, this early-'80s collection spotlights party-rockin' tracks from Sugarhill Gang, Crash Crew, and Trouble Funk. Tokyo B-Boys: B-Boying Mix Vol. 2 (Topstar) Breakbeats mixed by Japan's old-school historian DJ Beat, intended as theme music for break-dancers. Wild Style (Rhino) Originally released on Animal Records and reissued by Rhino in 1997, this is the soundtrack to the 1982 film. EKA

Ever since Sugarhill Gang put the "pow-pow boogie in the big bang bang," rap has been a medium dominated by singles. That's why compilations are often a consumer's best friend. In case you haven't noticed, the market is saturated with them. You can choose from hundreds of readily available titles that fit your particular lifestyle, whether you're a trend follower, a jiggy thug, or a backpack-carrying bus-passer.

There are collections galore of commercial radio and video hits, but from an aesthetic viewpoint, the compilation is usually best when its musical strands are connected by a thematic thread. Sometimes this raison d'être is illuminated through liner notes, and sometimes it becomes apparent in the songs themselves. A current example: Ego Trip's the Big Playback, which focuses exclusively on lesser-known gems from the '80s.

None of The Big Playback's songs were major hits, but many were majorly influential. Take the comp's final track, the 1983 avant-garde b-boy classic "Beat Bop," performed by Rammellzee and K-Rob. As Ego Trip's Jeff "Chairman" Mao points out in the liner notes, its lyrics have been bitten by both Ghostface Killah and Cypress Hill. But the impact of "Beat Bop" doesn't stop there: the washed-out reverb drenching the vocals has become a familiar element in the work of Beck and the Beastie Boys, and Rammellzee's loopy tonal modulations foreshadowed the crucial wordplay of Latyrx almost 15 years later.

The tracks that precede "Beat Bop" make up somewhat of a gestalt; individually, they're dope, but when put together, the chill factor is considerable. Years before "Flavor in Your Ear," Craig Mack, known then as MC EZ, was telling people to "Get Retarded" – a step beyond stupid fresh. MC Shan's performance on "Marley Marl Scratch" has likewise attained classic status, while Latee's 45 King-crafted "This Cut's Got Flavor" boasts a low end that will rock jeeps from here to eternity. The Big Playback also stakes a claim in hip-hop's pantheon for such forgotten artists as the Alliance, Divine Force, Ultimate Force, the Bizzie Boyz, and MC Mitchski.

A new compilation for Chicago's Guidance imprint, 2001 Rhyme Oddssey: Dawn of Man, may end up becoming a similar reference point for the '90s. It presents a host of rare, underground new-school cuts; highlights include the original mix of the late Big L's "Ebonics" and People under the Stairs' "Everybody" – a track that positions the southern California crew as the next stage of the West Coast underground. A similarly subterranean aesthetic is explored on Hip Hop 101, a project put out by Tommy Boy's Black Label. And due to its uncensored attitude, Hip-Hop Slam's Pirate Fuckin' Radio 100 probably won't get much above-ground shine. Yet it works well as an audio/visual document (available in both CD and VHS formats) of an era when you could get the likes of the Invisibl Skratch Picklz, the Space Travelers, and Zion-I to hang out all day for the price of a 12-pack and a twomp sack.

Until the next wave of solid hip-hop albums comes out this summer (the two best bets: De La Soul's Art Official Intelligence and Dilated Peoples' The Platform), it won't hurt to peruse the compilations rack. For a minimum of ducats, you can walk away with a compact container of past-life experience, present trivia, or future predictions.

return to top | sfbg.com