DJ Honda
HII

In the world of Hip-Hop, coming across the notoriously bland compilations that fill the shelves of record stores is something that makes more than a few fans of the genre cringe. In most cases, you find yourself facing lackluster and uninspiring selections, hodge-podges of vastly different artists, and products that are scattered and of highly variable quality, in short.

Fortunately, things don't always go the same way. It can happen, in fact, whether because of the homogeneous sound that acts as a glue, or the high quality of the guests taking turns at the microphone, that the product is absolutely valid, ready to satisfy even the most attentive and demanding palates (and ears).

A character like DJ Honda, along with his works, can rightfully be placed in the aforementioned category. Born in Hokkaido, he moved to Tokyo at the age of 17, and there he began to fully develop his passion for music. His career beginnings are entirely different: Honda appears as a vocalist and guitarist for Clique, a band influenced by U.S.-made Rock, far removed from black music and Hip-Hop. Soon, however, a passion for turntablism and DJ culture arises, and the next step is near and quite foreseeable: the presence of the neo-DJ in Japan's "coolest" clubs multiplies, with his much-appreciated selecta based on New York Hip-Hop, Funk, and Soul.

After his self-titled debut album "DJ Honda," released in '96, his first attempt as a beatmaker full of top-level guests and revealing profoundly East-oriented tastes, in '98 his second album/compilation arrives, symbolically titled "HII" (a bit more imagination wouldn't have hurt....). DJ Honda's second effort is undoubtedly the most successful so far, a work devoid of major special effects that, focusing on a strictly New York and "East" sound, and sometimes sensational featuring artists, manages to fully achieve its goal, never tiring with each new listen.

After a spectacular intro scratched and produced by Roc Raida of the X-Ecutioners, one immediately encounters the smoky Jazz-club atmospheres, all based on melancholy vibraphones, of the magnificent "Trouble In The Water", strengthened by the presence of the immortal De La Soul on the mic, followed by the tight lyrics of Black Attack, accompanying little voices and hypnotic samples in "5 Seconds". The subsequent and soft "Hai!" sees two Redman friends taking turns on the microphone, namely 50 Grand and the talented Keith Murray, members of the Def Squad, while in "Every Now & Then" it is not the performance of the unknown Syndicate (quite subdued) that captivates, but Honda's ultra-funky and driven base, perfect for an intense freestyle battle. Mista Sinista's prowess on the turntables soon gives way to the "conscious" lyrics of Hip-Hop's one true Teacher, Mr. Krs-One, in "Team Players", where the performance of the semi-unknown Doe-V, along with a beat that skillfully mixes engaging drumming and ambient Jazz influences, only adds value to one of the best tracks on the album. Applause-worthy. "On The Mic" is great for clubs, with its captivating guitar riff, sung chorus, and usual parade of stars with their respective rhymes (Cuban Link, Ju Ju of the Beatnuts, A.L., and the Missin' Linx!), while "For Every Day That Goes By" leaves room for the suggestive and melancholic verses of Rawcotics, equal to Honda's base. Excellent.

Another interlude, this time dominated by the voices of underground radio hero Stretch Armstrong and Lord Sear, before "Who The Trifest?", featuring Ju Ju and Psycho Les, known as The Beatnuts, in a track with a disorienting, almost mystical atmosphere that may not entirely suit their style, but still comes across as incisive and well-constructed. The Missin' Linx return, first Al' Tariq in "Talk About It", underground just right, then the great Black Attack, who in "Blaze It Up" puts his smooth and musical flow at the service of a nice broken and heavy beat, with a well-sung chorus to soften and complete everything. Another brief scratched skit, this time by DJ EV, before heading toward the album's conclusion, where S-On's harsh lyrics in "Go Crazy" stand out, followed by the more intimate and reflective ones of Problemz in the splendid "Around The Clock", and the decidedly entertainment-focused ones of No I.D. and Dug Infinite in "When You Hot You Hot", with a mega-beat full of strings and percussion, perhaps the best of the entire album. One more quick interlude, before "Travellin' Man", the concluding gem as well as the single taken from "HII", with a Mos Def in splendid form, alternating rhymes and vocals with disarming ease, a fitting conclusion to a solid work with no glaring drops in quality throughout its duration.

This is, in summary, "HII", a product undoubtedly appreciated for its great flow and consistency at the same time, a record devoid of excessive tricks and special effects, perhaps too "standard" for listeners always avid for novelty, but offering a well-tested recipe that does not fail in its purpose. Congratulations to DJ Honda, in short, and an invitation to rediscover an album that only becomes more interesting and appealing with the passing years.