Closely affiliated with Freestyle Fellowship and Project Blowed, Fat Jack is an L.A. producer and DJ who's been cranking out high-quality beats since the early '90s. Originally released as a double-CD and quadruple-vinyl set in '99, Cater to the DJ was his first official album, a sprawling compilation-style effort that showcased his always-on-point productions backing up subterranean emcees like Aceyalone, AWOL One, Ellay Khule, Busdriva, Abstract Rude, P.E.A.C.E., and Of Mexican Decent. This is a shorter and more concise 16-track version; the original mix had nearly 40 songs. But this edition still impresses with Jack's unique beatscapes and an abundance of bugged-out yet consistently funky lyrical gymnastics. Ideal for fans of forward-thinking hip-hop unimpressed with the usual choice between gangster, skateboarder, or kingpin-centric rhymes, this is simply good music from an excellent producer who's never really gotten the props he deserves.