Off The Hook

Performer: Various Artists
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: The success of the Now series of compilations, which have responded to the decline of singles by providing radio fans with collections of near-contemporary hits, naturally has inspired imitators, and this album is one of them. Released by Sony, it is in fact a joint venture with Universal, EMI, and Zomba, and the only distinction between it and a Now disc is the more limited range of musical styles: Off the Hook is an R&B/hip-hop album. Among its 20 tracks, clocking in at over 79 minutes, are 13 songs that were still lodged in the Billboard Hot 100 and/or the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart on the day of release, although the selections date back as far as early 2001, the oldest tune being India.Arie's "Video." Only a few of these numbers were really big hits -- J-Lo featuring Ja Rule's "I'm Real" (presented here in the "Murder Remix") was a number one pop hit, while Mr. Cheeks' "Lights, Camera, Action" topped the R&B charts and Aaliyah's "More than a Woman," Mystikal's "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)," Glenn Lewis' "Don't You Forget It," KeKe Wyatt featuring Avant's "Nothing in This World," and Petey Pablo's "Raise Up" (heard here in the "All Cities Remix") made the R&B Top Ten. The rest, except for the non-charting "City High Anthem" by City High, placed lower in the charts, although such major stars as Jermaine Dupri, Jagged Edge, and Janet Jackson are included. The music ranges from hard-edged rap (from which the curse words have been surgically removed in the peculiar Swiss-cheese process known as the "clean edit") to creamy love ballads, giving a good sense of the sound of contemporary R&B, circa 2001-2002. Listening to Off the Hook is like hearing nearly 80 minutes' worth of an urban radio station without the commercials. ~ William Ruhlmann Those K-Tel compilations with all "the original hits by the original artists" have transformed and hit the big time thanks to the NOW series, among other things. OFF THE HOOK comes from that NOW school and applies its lessons to R&B and hip-hop, as many of the major labels come together to provide the biggest radio hits from established superstars like J-Lo and Janet Jackson and up-and-comers like B2K and City High. There's no frills, no remixes, no unreleased tracks, just the original versions of the biggest hits by the biggest artists. OFF THE HOOK is for anyone who wants to dip their toes in the hip-hop pool before deciding whether to drop a 20 on the newest albums, or just wants a ready-made mix for whatever pool-party, barbecue, etc. the summer may bring. Try not wriggling to Naughty By Nature in tandem with 3LW on "Feels Good (Don't Worry About A Thing)" or on the other end of the spectrum, try not coming close to bawling (or at least to an introspective moment) on Nas's mental-breakdown rap ballad "One Mic."

Entertainment Weekly (5/31/02, p.108) - "...As a roadmap to the dancescape, HOOK does a fine job, surveying the peaks and the valleys..." - Rating: B

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25