ADAM F

Adam F was an excellent drum'n'bass producer, but, according to the man himself, it was just a phase he went through -- granted, a phase that included proper jungle classics like "F-Jam" and "Circles." By the time his second production album dropped in 2001, Adam F was a hardcore rap producer, and, from the sound of it, a lightning-quick study. Kaos: The Anti-Acoustic Warfare not only has the look and feel of an apocalyptic LP from hip-hop kingpins like DMX or Busta Rhymes, it's a great collection of collaborations featuring some of the best American rappers on offer. True, it doesn't push the envelope for hip-hop production quite as expected; Adam F draws on the mid-tempo strut, spidery percussion, and synth strings of rap's top trackmasters (Dr. Dre, Swizz Beatz, Rockwilder), relying on subtle touches to distinguish his productions. He mostly keeps to the background and lets his rappers speak, adding some nice distorted synthesizers on "Listen Here" featuring Capone-n-Noreaga and a slow-and-low G-funk whine to LL Cool J's "Greatest of All Time." He also switches it up on the flip side, turning to laid-back '70s jams for "Karma (Comes Around)" (featuring Guru and Carl Thomas) and "Time 4 da True" (featuring De La Soul and DV Alias Khryst). It's not often that an artist outside the community actually produces a sound that's indistinguishable from the family. Underground rap fans hoping for a unique sound from a left-field producer may be disappointed, but Kaos: The Anti-Acoustic Warfare is a surprisingly solid album of mainstream rap. ~ John Bush, AMG

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