Artist: J. Period
Album: Best of Lauryn Hill (2 disc)
Record label: n/a
Rating:
Reviewer: James Johnson

With no hesitation whatsoever, I felt it necessary to drop a fresh review for J Period’s “The Best of Lauryn Hill.” Of course, this cd was available previously, however, the double-disc set has now been re-released with bonus material. Featuring exclusive drops and input from hip-hop’s Queen herself, this was probably the best mixtape of 2005.

Packed into two exclusive cd’s, “The Best of Lauryn Hill” plays like a concert, giving fans a look into over eighty tracks by or featuring Lauryn. Everything from her career with The Fugees to her career as a soloist is covered in this amazing double set.

Disc one, entitled “Fire,” guides the audience through many tracks which feature Lauryn spitting the venomous flow that made her a hit, such as “Lost Ones,” “Keep It Tight,” “How Many Mics,” “Recognition,” and “Rumble In The Jungle.” You’ll also get rarely heard remixes, like the “Mahogany” remix of her classic, “Sweetest Thing,” featuring John Forte, and “Simple Breakdown,” the remix of “Ex-Factor.” Fans will get the previously unreleased “Killing A Soundboy,” which features Buju Banton & Steele (of Tek & Steele/ Cocoa Brovaz fame).

An exclusive J. Period remix of “Ready or Not” features hot vocals from The Notorious B.I.G. In addition to that, the new Fugees track, “Take It Easy,” was thrown into the mix as a special bonus and ought to please fans tremendously. Many of the songs on the album are mixed exclusively by J. Period, which adds an all-new flavor to the cd, making the material sound as fresh as it did when it was first released.

Disc Two, titled “Water,” gives listeners a look at the more laid back and melodic side of Lauryn Hill. You’ll find tracks like “Light My Fire,” “Guantanamera” with Celia Cruz & Wyclef, “Fu-Gee-La,” “The Sweetest Thing,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “Tell Him,” & “Nothing Even Matters” with D’Angelo. Mos Def drops in on an exclusive remix of “Killing Me Softly” while Common & Black Thought weigh in on an exclusive remix of “Like Water.” Other bonuses to grace this disc include the unreleased tracks “War,” “No More Trouble,” and “A Change Is Gonna Come.”

Many others drop by with vocals in effort to pay tribute to Lauryn Hill on exclusive remixes and drops, but that’s not all that makes this double-disc set great. It also has to do with Period’s special remixes. Many of the tracks are mixed to new beats. “Doo-Wop (That Thing)” is mixed to Outkast’s “ATLiens,” while “Fu-Gee-La” is mixed to The Notorious B.I.G.’s “I Got A Story To Tell.”

It’s also great that Lauryn Hill actually plays a part in the mixtape. She distanced herself from hip-hop, let alone music, for so long, and it’s good to see her back in the swing of things.

This mixtape is great in the sense that not only does is thoroughly pay tribute to one of hip-hop & r&b’s greatest finds, but it also reflects Ms. Hill’s influence and impact on many of today’s artists. Few aside from J. Period could have done a mix of Lauryn this well. This is definitely a must buy for any music fan!