9th Wonder And Buckshot - The Formula

9th Wonder, previously 1/3rd of the underground hip hop outfit Little Brother and part of the legendary Boot Camp Clik, hooks up with Duck Down Records head honcho Buckshot. Together, the duo have sculpted some of the finest sample-based hip hop of recent years on this, their second LP. For those not au fait with Boot Camp Clik, they were the "other" New York based hip hop supergroup; meaning they didn’t get the love in the same way Wu-Tang did. Buckshot seems to have slowed his flow down with age, and appears less animated than on previous cuts. It could be part of a transition to adulthood, and he expresses a more mature form of female appreciation on Throwing Shade and Here We Go. If you're not too keen on the idea of taking dating tips from this man, never fear. Buckshot and co. deliver more traditional lyrical matter on Shinin’ Y'all, which features Arafat Yates and Big Chops of M1 Platoon castrating the 9th Wonder beat. There's an infectious hook of “sunlight’s shining” sliced into the mix, and lyrics like “we go to war for this hip hop, seminal style you guys are clones, like clinical cows” are pure class. Shinin' Y'all is exemplarary of the album's quality: great beats, catchy hooks and slick rhymes make for a successful formula.