Compilations are a drag. Most of the times, they are just a bunch of tracks, thrown in the air, and the ones that stick closest to an imaginary bulls eye, are put in the most random order possible, on the record. No sequencing, not truly up start conceiving, no giving the compilation a distinctive feel. Basically, they are just a drag.

Of course not all compilations, as there are some out there that brilliantly combine the many talents of the chosen artists and at times even find a connecting ground for them to do their seed growing on. With "DJ WhiteLightning exposes White On White Crime", we do get something that makes sense, as first the DJ did all the beats and second, all the emcees talk about crime, some sort of it at least, and not in a thug way. Well, that has us give this a hooray, and we forget about drags for the moment, and continue on to enjoy this record.

The record starts with the quickly unfolding "Glass And Plastique" by Qwel, who approach the topic on a rather deity kind of level. Evil dwarf like figures are circling you, hard to capture too, as the sonic blows in the back, are the guiding spinsters. The level gets even more dramatic on "Color Of Money" by Serf 400. Not like an NGO member throwing bricks at McDonald's restaurants, this is the opposite equivalent, that bribes you with the worn tie and entraps you with the complex beat and subtle speed changes. This is highly well done.

Then a fellow Galapagos artist drops by on "Chief Executive Officer (Dictation)", as Offwhyte opts for a relaxed offering, letting the words that are addressing the share holder, carry the intensity. Already by the fourth track, you are amazed and can state that WhiteLightning shows a remarkable versatility. So things are changed up on "5ive From Every Dime", with Pugslee Atoms, that's taking a restrained bubbling cut, that has each element seem separate, while not distant, with Pugslee act like an art dealer, showing the corruptness of the business that eventually drove Jean Michel Basquiat into a drug death. Continuing on, "Principal Of It All" by Unkle Butta starts out totally obscure, but then settles within a structure, ending up being totally ill.

And despite us having heard the sample on "Alabastard" before, Denizen Kane makes this track his own, exposing the true lack of tolerance in the web of tried political correctness, that's neither able to make the people less ignorant, nor solve any problems. And Kane pulls this off enormously eloquent, having this result in another brilliant track. Then it's only right to have WhiteLightning go for a solo track and not have any of the emcees take away some of the attention. And the DJ is blowin' us away with "Starlight", that might feature lengthy sample parts, but also features a mighty mighty drum.

Then the next three tracks are giving us the three members of the Netherworlds, each getting his own solo track. First one is Anacron, with his "American Psycho". This is a little chaotic, it's the musical cliff notes to the book and finds its rest once the rhyming starts. Murs does "Come Back Home" and his raw talent is finally matched with an according beat, with only the singing giving us a shudder. Then third is Hymnself, with "Disgruntled", that has the DJ come with another butter beat, that also enjoys a longer intro and a quick change up. Lyrically we hear a lunatic's confession, that gives us the turn of events.

Further on, Aristhitis does "Pain Stain Rain", and the DJ returns solo on "Your Mom", a heavy guitar piece, that then suddenly features rhymes, and our sheet can't tell us who that is. It's still too early to say that we are about to wrap things up, but we return to where we started, with Serf 400 returning on the crazy "Crack White" and Qwel doing "Red Meat". And while these tracks can succeed in every test, it will take you a few listens before this will settle on you. And finally the last track on here, "Roach One..." unfolds like a true piece of art, it not following the means of expectations. Once more someone rhymes on here, without us being told who it is.

However, we can conclude and can start giving props. While the record comes to a slower pace towards the end, through most of the compilation you will witness beats and rhymes by some very skilled cats. Heck, this is straight up dope pretty much all the time, with the cats rhyming knowing how to coin rhymes and flows and with the DJ catching you off guard with his beats. And to use a criminal simile, if you are used to pocket thieves, this is Al Capone.