They Came from Beyond

Philadelphia Weekly

MUSIC

By Holly Mack-Ward

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Oct. 17, 2001

Various Artists
We Came from Beyond
RAZOR AND TIE

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We Came from Beyond is the name of Mike Nardone's hip-hop show that's been broadcasting over the L.A. airwaves via college radio station KXLU for 13 years. The first volume of his same-named mix CD offers a sampling of some of the key players in the West Coast underground hip-hop scene: Freestyle Fellowship, Dilated Peoples, Jurassic 5, Eyedea. And like the very genre it emerges from, the compilation is largely a hit-or-miss affair. The libations-themed triple play of Mighty Casey's "Liquorland," Dilated Peoples' "Weed vs. Beer (You Make the Choice)" and Blackalicious' "40oz for Breakfast" makes for a good start, but tracks like "52 Pickup" (Atmosphere) and "Winner Takes All" (Motion Man featuring Kutmaster Kurt) help render the second half of the album a dud. Nardone does a nice job of subduing the Beastie Boys on his remix of "Pass the Mic," but do we really need to be subjected to anything from Check Your Head yet again, even if it is a new version? C+