Released in the same era of expansive and humorous debuts by , , and 's similarly disposed first album and follow-up EP offered a party-friendly alternative to with a heavy dose of 's aesthetic. The Oakland-based crew, featuring as alter-ego and frontman , would continue to ride high with , but never really captured the inspired mix of their first forays into the arena. That said, curious fans should first check out the group's maiden release before diving into this six-song collection; while solid in its own right, the EP does contain two non-essential remixes of tracks off of . And even though new cuts like the extended jam (featuring a nasty -meets- synth-organ solo), and are all impressive, does not expand on the sound of . Still, a very enjoyable selection of cuts full of top-notch rapping, samples, scratches, and elastically bass and beats. ~ Stephen Cook