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King Britt Presents Sylk 130 When the Funk Hits the Fan (Ovum/Columbia/Sony) Britt has been something of a DJ's DJ for some time, as both the silentish partner in Josh Wink's Ovum Records empire and a fave at the spliffy back rooms of mega parties. Heading Sylk 130's collective, he's created a rootsy picture disc (yes, the last thing you need), another soundtrack to a film never made. This one's of a superfly black America on the funkified front stoop of 1977. Seems contrived, sounds ferociously good. And if you think a disco remake is another last-thing-you-need, listen to Britt's "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life" and witness the art of turning cliché into masterpiece. Wowee. 9/10 (Mireille Silcott) DJ Frankie Bones Factory 101 (X-Sight/Fusion III) As one of the most hearty vestiges of America's initial hardcore techno scene, Brooklyn's Frankie Bones has lost none of his early '90s sensibilities. His mix sounds nostalgic for ye olde boiler-suit days. Even if it's half ghetto bass and half post-Green Velvet Chi-house that so many technoists have embraced. Maybe it's the operatic intro, the quickened house samples, the occasional acid and nightmarish riffs. Or that Bones and his bridge and tunnelism have simply lost the plot. 7/10 (Mireille Silcott)
Bad Boy Entertainment's next foot forward puts the Lox in the prime position to pick up where Biggie left off, even if they are a trio. Apart from "We'll Always Love Big Poppa" and "If You Think I'm Jiggy," this album boasts some backstreet flows that definitely set them apart from predecessors Puffy and Mase. Joined by an assorted production team, hit-master Sean "Puffy" Combs lets some other cats work the controls, but make no mistake--this is definitely a Puff Daddy product. 7/10 (Scott C)
The English R&B collective Soul II Soul continue to offer innovative rhythms coupled with a real desire to produce music of substance. They achieve limited success with a set that's intelligent, though not always engaging. While tracks like the thoughtful "Pleasure Dome" and the jubilant "Represent" are admirably infectious, it's still a long way from the days when this band turned R&B on it's ear via the groundbreaking "Keep On Movin'." 7/10 (Gerard Dee)
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The Lox Money, Power & Respect (Bad Boy/BMG)
Soul II Soul Time for Change (Polygram)