A young Australian DJ getting exclusive tracks from the worlds best? Yep, that's right, I had to wrap my hearing gear around this one. Streets Ahead; a cheeky name that soon seemed justified. Even before I'd slipped the disc into the player, I was nodding appreciatively at the track listing: some raw subterranean talent mixed with the names you know. US legends Biz Markie and Kool Keith are noticeable elite inclusions while the growing scene in the UK gets a nod from J-Red; acts like Riddla and the Extremists flowin’ freely. Locally, we get to feel proud of our crews and it makes me all warm and fuzzy to know that our 'grow your own' philosophy has resulted in collectives like Lyrical Commission who put their hand up for a gold medal with the superb Press Release. Then there's the man himself, J-Red, meltin wax with machine-gun cuttin that almost brought a tear to this jaded old beat-lover's eyes. Want skills? Listen to Wanna Battle, the first of two J-Red interludes. Ouch, I almost got third degree burns from that shit. It's more rapid than my attention span. This is the finest blend of intercontinental hip-hop I've heard for many years and J-Red hasn't forced the issue with the Aussie content on Streets Ahead; it all fits cohesively into one slab of joyous beats and lyrical flow. Much respect and props from the Whammo editorial team.

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Tracklisting

Full listing of J-RED releases