Audio Cuts:
Funkanella
Keep It Thoro
In The Club

Not only can Jay-Z not lose, apparently the whole Roc-a-fella Family has a pretty solid winning streak going as well. DJ Clue puts together an All-Star cast here, that comes through with All-Star results, not like the Portland Trailblazers. This album contains heat from beginning to end, there are some low points, but every artist worthy of shining, shines.

One element missing from this compilation is a new Jay-Z solo adventure. The album does contain 'People's Court' but that's so old, I think it was originally completed before I was born. Can a Roc-a-fella album handle business without Jay-Z pulling most of the weight? Apparently the answer is yes. This album contains some current hits, as well as some "soon to be" hits in the near future. The gem on this compilation is the puzzling appearance of Prodigy. He drops 'Keep It Thoro' which may be the grimiest track this summer. I didn't really consider Prodigy to be Roc-A-Fellaish, but this may disprove some rumors of beef.

Beanie Sigel shows how he may be the man to fill the shoes of Shawn Carter on his track. He floats over the Timbaland produced 'In the Club' painting a picture of Beans in action. Memphis Bleek drops the first single from his new album, "My Mind Right" where he kills over DJ Twinz production. Bleek and Beanie Sigel represent two of the hottest emcees to gain respect in NYC right now. Can you name any other label besides Roc-a-fella that contain 3 bona-fide stars? Doubt it. To complete a quad of heaters, The LOX appear on "Who Did You Expect?" A suprising banger produced by Swizz Beats. Jada and Sheek come through with their usual bragging lyrics, and make this connection with Roc-a-fella a powerful combination.

You didn't think there'd be a Roc-A-Fella compilation without some R&B joints did you? T-Boz, Christion, and Rell all appear for some laid back material, to switch up the flow a little bit. Rell is the clear winner here. 'Darling' could be a classic in the making. Will Rell ever drop an album? As he may be R&B's best kept secret...will Jay-Z ever let the cat out of the bag?

With every album, you have problems. The middle of this album is where the glaring weaknesses are. We have appearances by the Hot Boys, on 'Millionaire' and Outkast on 'Funkanella.' What is the deal with this? I would be hard pressed to admit ever seeing more aimless material than what these two tracks bring to the table. Honestly, they really kill the flow of this album.

Redman comes through and destroys 'Come And Get It' but apparently this is Lady Luck's track, so let's rephrase that and say "Redman saves 'Come and get it.'" Lady doesn't bring much versatility to the table, I think Def Jam made a big mistake with her. Cam'Ron stops through to drop some forgettable material, followed up by a halfway decent product from Fabulous Sport.

Luckily, the album closes strong, with a Capone & Noreaga appearance, which isn't the greatest, but fits in well here. A crew cut with Memph Bleek, Cease, and Ja Rule which further proves how good the combination of Bleek and Ja can be. Of course Jay-Z comes through with "People's Court" to close the door, making this another Roc-A-Fella gem.

All in all, I guess Team Roc really comes through here. Time after time, Shawn Carter and friends always bring a solid product to the table, the fact remains that Jay-Z can't lose. He seems to have the Midas Touch right now. Production on this album is quite varied, that makes for a lot of different soungs, basically there is something on this compilation that will please everyone.