There was a time when hip-hop wasn't about East Coast/West Coast rivalries, or MTV airplay, or who could license the most recognizable sample. And if you miss that time, you need to own a copy of X-pressions. I think what appeals to me, to some extent, is the structure of the CD -- it's pretty much a non-stop media barrage that, as you might expect from a DJ (in the turntablist sense) collective, is packed to bursting with top-notch scratching. If you remember, and miss, the mood of Public Enemy's first few albums, check this out. If you don't believe a turntable can be a musical instrument when manipulated by skilled hands, prepare to have your paradigm irreparably buggered. X-pressions isn't resolutely old school; though the rapping comes fast and furious, there's little or no eighties-style full-effect bombast. There's also a clear awareness of trip-hop/acid jazz on cuts like "Pianos From Hell" and the seminal "Turntabilist Anthem". And as subject matter, gunplay and misogyny are replaced by DJ showdowns. It speaks volumes about the skill of Rob Swift, Mista Sinista, Roc Raida and Total Eclipse that after more than an hour of scratch-enhanced hip-hop, you're still eager to hear more. If you think rap has been and gone, X-pressions will make you think again.
X-ecutioners X-Pressions Asphodel CD
			Review by George Zahora

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