With two production showcase albums in just one year,
Statik Selektah runs the risk of spreading himself thin, but there's no evidence on that on the prime
What Goes Around. From the title track/hypeman opener to the brilliant,
Beach Boys-borrowing closer "God Knows" with MCs
Bun B, Jared Evan, and
Pos from
De La Soul, this scattered, roulette wheel-spin of an album offers club cuts, throwbacks, and sullen street numbers all of top quality. The flow of it all isn't perfect, but the short runtime for the tracks and the mixtape style of butting one cut right to the next make this feel like a purposeful whirlwind. Choice numbers include "The Thrill Is Back," where the dream team of
Styles P and
Talib Kweli reminisce about their early careers, while "The Imperial" finds
Action Bronson,
Royce Da 5'9, and
Black Thought punching hard over one of
Statik's fierce soundtrack-music-meets-Gospel cut-ups.
Snoop Dogg sounds like a Don on the aptly titled "All the Way (Pimp Hop)," while "Carry On" is the great experience of Joey Badass and
Freddie Gibbs trading lines over what could be an old
Digable Planets beat. "Down Like This" squanders none of its street superstar --
Sheek Louch,
Pharoahe Monch, and
Crooked I -- power and offers an infectious chorus to boot, then
Boldy James admits he "should have played first base" because he can't let anything slide on the cold and cunning "Something to Cry For." The highlights continue, and come from many different styles of underground hip-hop, so put
Statik somewhere between
Tony Touch and
the Alchemist on the short list of producers/DJs who also offer solid albums. ~ David Jeffries