Vibe - "...Structured like a free-form party mix with its spree of chant-sewn instrumentals and tightly blended percussion breaks, MEAT MARKET drips with references to hip hop's old school..."
Rolling Stone - 3.5 Stars (out of 5) - "...Van Helden's unerring sense of sound and friction--and just plain crowd-pleasing break beats--make[s] for music that really does something to a room. It starts a party..."
Entertainment Weekly - "...Van Helden here applies his pedigreed house hypnotics to hip-hop, razoring classic jams into hybrids that bump and bounce without mercy. He sometimes overdoses it with the vocal loops, but the beat architecture is flawless..." - Rating: A-
Melody Maker - "...the Bostonian ex-hard house master...and remix king...strikes another notch for mediocrity in his culturally insignificant career by completely missing the point about American hip hop."
Rovi
Just as Armand Van Helden began to be acknowledged as one of the forefathers of Britain's favorite new dance form of the moment, speed garage, he released Enter the Meatmarket, a tribute to his background in hip-hop and Latino house. In fact, it's an old-school rap album through and through, with a carload of classic "hands in the air" samples from the likes of Fat Boys and Dana Dane plus an appearance by Funkmaster Flex on the devastating "6 Minutes of Funk." But while Van Helden's production skills are solid throughout, Enter the Meatmarket suffers from its lack of true vocals. It's so close to a hip-hop album that the listener can't help but feel that something's missing without the raps. ~ John Bush|
Rovi