The Professional, Pt. 2 [PA]

Performer: DJ Clue?
Artist: Mary J. Blige; Jadakiss; DMX; Beanie Sigel; The Lox; Cam'Ron; Nature; Fabolous; Busta Rhymes; Rah Digga; Raekwon; Eminem; Nature & Fabolous; Ghostface Killah; Method Man; Royce Da 5'9"; Snoop Dogg; Kurupt; Trick Daddy; Trina; Nas; Foxy Brown; Capone 'n' Noreaga; Mobb Deep; Redman; Lady Luck; Muggs; Ty Shaun
Engineer: Denis Tougas; Tim Olmstead; Bernard "Big Demi" Parker; Vinny Nicoletti; Greg Below; Gimel Keaton; Young Guru; Duro; Chauncey Mahan; C.J. DeVillar; KJ; Paul Gregory; Righteous Funk Boogie; Mike Hogan; Brian G.; Brian Garten
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: DJ Clue (rap vocals); Mary J. Blige, Jadakiss, DMX, Beanie Sigel, Lox, Cam'ron, Nature, Fabolous, Busta Rhymes, Rah Digga, Raekwon, Eminem. Producers include: DJ Clue, Duro, X-Treme, Rick Rock, Righteous Funk Boogie. Personnel: Brian James (guitar); Charile "CSUN" Bereal (keyboards); Bernard "Big Demi" Parker (programming). DJ: DJ Clue?. Audio Mixers: Vinny Nicoletti; Duro; Tommy Uzzo. Recording information: 4 Stars Recording Studios, FL; Baseline Studios, New York, NY; Black Friday Recording Studio, Philadelphia, PA; Desert Storm Studios, New York, NY; Enterprise Studios, LA; Hit Factory, New York, NY; Larrabee West Studios, LA; McClair Digital Studios, Canada; Mirror Image Studios; Right Track Studios, New York, NY; Soundtrack Studios, New York, NY. Photographer: Jonathan Mannion. On the second installment in THE PROFESSIONAL series, famed New York mixtape king DJ Clue brings together an assortment of celebrated hip-hop and R&B artists from across the map. As expected, the East Coast is heavily represented (with original tracks from DMX, Beanie Sigel, Busta Rhymes, Ghostface Killah, Capone-N-Noreaga, Method Man, Jay-Z, Nas, and Mary J. Blige, among others) but Clue also takes it out west (see "F*ck a Bitch" with Snoop and Kurupt) and down to Miami ("My Niggaz Dem" featuring Tricky Daddy and Trina). Mixtape DJs have sure come a long way over the years, and no one knows that better than DJ Clue? The NY-based spinner got his start peddling mixtapes on the streets. A few years later, his album The Professional, Pt. 2 hit the Billboard Top Ten album chart. Looking at the list of artists on Clue?'s play list, it's easy to see why the album has had such success. This time out, Clue? enlisted the likes of Jay-Z, DMX, Beanie Sigel, Redman, Nas, Foxy Brown, Trick Daddy, and Eminem among many others. What is likely to draw the attention of hip-hop fans are the exclusive tracks on the album, including "Change the Game (Remix)," which mixes artists from both coasts such as tha Dogg Pound, Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, and Memphis Bleek. Another exclusive track is "What the Beat" with Method Man, Eminem, and Royce da 5'9". Also impressive are "Live From the Bridge" by Nas and "The Best of Queens" by Mobb Deep. While there aren't any dead spots on the album, The Professional, Pt. 2 suffers in comparison to some of Clue?'s other mixtapes because he plays it safe, relying too heavily on big-name rappers. One of the joys of a good mixtape is discovering new artists alongside more established ones, but Clue? offers too few opportunities to check out something new. Also annoying is Clue?'s habit of shouting over all of the tracks. While it's common for mixtape DJs to shout and give shoutouts over tracks, Clue? takes it to an extreme. There is a lot to like about The Professional, Pt. 2. He should let the music speak for itself. ~ Jon Azpiri

Entertainment Weekly (3/2/01, p.70) - "...The top of the hip-hop heap....again, gathering everyone from mogul Puff Daddy to hoodie DMX..." - Rating: B Vibe (4/01, p.169) - 3 discs out of 5 - "...Contains several shining moments....allowing some established rappers to take a break from their flossy mainstream formulas..."

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