VARIOUS ARTISTS
Stones Throw 101
Record label: Stones Throw
Format: DVD/CD
Release date: 19 November 2004

It’s official: I’m a Stones Throw fanatic. I may not have all the fan club 45s, I may not have their limited edition 100th release 12-inch (not available in stores, I might add), but I hold this label in very high regard. Whether it’s old or new hip-hop, reissued soul and funk, futuristic broken beats, or psychedelic pop and downtempo selections, these guys treat every release with tender loving care. You can tell Peanut Butter Wolf & Egon are crate diggers and lovers of various styles of music. For anyone that hasn’t been captivated by this label’s diverse artist roster and discography as of yet, Stones Throw 101 offers the perfect crash course. The two-disc set includes a 70-minute mix by PB Wolf that spans eight years of releases (hard to believe it’s been that long). Needless to say, Madlib’s work is all over this mix, including releases from Lootpack, Quasimodo, Madvillain, Jaylib, DJ Rels, and Yesterday’s New Quintet. But one man with several aliases does not tell the whole story. As this retrospective shows, this label runs deep with talent. Check the contributions from hip-hop heads like Oh No and Wildchild, the funk and soul of Breakestra, as well as reissued work from L.A. Carnival and Stark Reality. As if that weren’t enough, the DVD contains all the videos you missed because MTV2 had to front on them – complete with optional commentary. And as nice as it is to have them all on one DVD, the bonus footage seals the deal. Watch the Stones Throw crew go crate digging in Canada or Jaylib’s debut at the Jazz Café in London (including an after-hours jam session with Mos Def). There’s also a mini-documentary about L.A. Carnival and TV show footage of Stark Reality as well as Peanut Butter Wolf & Charizma. There’s too much here to pass it up. If you only buy one Stones Throw release in your entire life, make it this one.

{macedonia}


back to reviews page