Tommy Boy's Greatest Beats, Vol. 4

Though volume 4 of Tommy Boy's Greatest Beats, a four-part retrospective and party mix from the label's vaults, starts with Apache's "Gangsta Bitch" and ends with Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise," there is none of the gangsta aesthetic anywhere to be found. Apache's work is a humorous novelty, and Coolio provides a seething lament, yet that's about as close to the Too $horts of the world as this label gets. Instead volume 4 offers more of the dance and electro-boogie side the roster. RuPaul makes his first appearance (with "Supermodel"), as does the Jonzun Crew with "Pack Jam," a track ripe for a Squarepusher-ish remix. Some of the tracks haven't aged well; for instance, Stetsasonic's "Talkin' All That Jazz," sounds quaint, owing to its relatively facile acoustic bass line and their tendency to rap right on the beat rather than just behind it (as is the case in most jazz-influenced raps). The high points lie in rediscovering lost pleasures: the didgeridoo-like intro to Naughty by Nature's "Hip Hop Hooray," Digital Underground's playful "Kiss You Back," and some early Jazzy Joyce on Sweet Trio's "Non Stop." Like volume 3, this one doesn't stand on its own as well as it makes a companion for either volume 1 or volume 2. The box set, which collects all four volumes with a fifth disc (of remixes), might be the best place for these two. --Martin Johnson