Chops: Virtuosity

When The Mountain Brothers hooked up with Ruffhouse/Columbia, it became the first Asian-American rap group signed to a major label. When issues of "creative control" and hokey packaging arose, however, The Mountain Brothers became the first Asian-American rap group to leave a major label. Like true hip-hoppers, the trio wants to be judged on the merits of its beats and rhymes, not its novel ethnicity. Now, after a pair of well-received albums, resident Mountain Brothers beatsmith Chops flexes his production skills on Virtuosity, where he works with a formidable array of underground rhymers, including Ras Kass, Talib Kweli, Bahamadia, Planet Asia, Mystic, Raekwon, The Mountain Brothers, Chops himself, and Kanye West. Over Chops' melancholy piano, West waxes autobiographical and personal (though not "Through The Wire" personal) on "Changing Lanes," about being a red-hot producer making the hazardous transition to rhyming. That short song could use another verse, but it's still auspicious from both a musical and a historical perspective. Largely eschewing sampling, Chops opts for a dramatic, synthetic-symphonic sound, punctuated by regular scratching. His production style is showcased to great effect on "Comin' From The Lower Level," where the hard-charging, cinematic beat is expertly rocked by the inspired trio of Kweli, the cleverly belligerent and belligerently clever Ras Kass, and strong-arm lyricist Phil Da Agony. Planet Asia, one of underground hip-hop's most sought-after and consistently compelling guest rappers, takes it back to the Old School with "Niggarachi," an irresistible throwback that borrows its title from Liberace (who was flossing and bling-blinging decades before it became a rap cliché) and its flow and vibe from vintage Slick Rick. Virtuosity could stand to be a little tighter, but as a calling card for Chops' production, it does its job well: His phone ought to be ringing off the hook with rappers vying for his services.