Champion Sound

Only a handful of DJs deserve the title "Grandmaster," but Roc Raida's one of them. A DJ since the mid-'80s, founder of the X-Ecutioners, and one of the most technically skilled turntablists in hip-hop, Roc Raida has nothing to prove but plenty of excellent records to spin. Champion Sounds, his first record for DMC, displays a DJ fully in control of his mix; he blends instrumentals with vocal tracks, a few of his own new productions (with furious transformations over the top), and grooves from a host of friends and family (Rob Swift, D-Styles, DJ Radar, plus, naturally, the X-ecutioners' "Raida Theme"). Pacing and flow mean as much to Roc Raida as scratching, so Champion Sounds isn't an all-out scratchfest; in fact, a few of the vocal tracks -- "Bang Bang" from FCM featuring Scram Jones, Aasim on the Raida-produced "I Got You," and the vocal over D-Styles' "The Murder Faktory" -- make for most of the highlights. That's the genius of Roc Raida, though; even when he's top-billed on a record, it's still more about the groove than the turntable pyrotechnics. ~ John Bush|