BBE offer Masters At Work's Kenny 'Dope' Gonzales another chance to indulge his funk fetish by mixing this latest instalment of the label's 'Strange Games And Funky Things' series. It's hard to remember the logic behind this particular series amongst the myriad other compilations that BBE put out but if we correctly recall, the first one claimed to illuminate the links between contemporary hip hop and the sample sources that inform it.
In which context, Kenny Dope's selection is exemplary. There are more than a few dusty old gems here that will elicit a thrill of recognition from those with even the most passing interest in hip hop. Samples used by Eminem and Dr Dre rub shoulders with those that have graced underground classics from the likes of Black Moon and Big Daddy Kane. But it's not simply a sampling sport. The tracks here are nearly all essential classics in their own right and many, like Ramp's beautiful 'Daylight', are not the sort of thing that you happen across everyday.
Kenny Dope mixes the first CD in a hip hop stylee, cutting up Roy Ayres' classic 'Everybody Loves The Sunshine', scratching and repeating bars to maximise the impact of breaks but keeping the intrusions to a minimum. All the tracks are then included on another two unmixed CDs, making for a lavishly boxed 3CD set. Hence, 'Strange Games And Funky Things 3' is essential for funky trainspotters and curious hip hop listeners alike.
