Berner Flex

Funkmaster Flex keeps his Mix Tape: 60 Minute of Funk going with Volume 4, which features mainly freestyles. Performers include some of the industries top rappers - primarily New Yorkers like DMX and Ja Rule but also a few out-of-town surprises like Eminem and Ludacris - most of whom freestyle over Flex's own productions. The plethora of exclusive productions sets Volume 4 apart from its predecessors, which were more straightforward mix albums comprised of previously released hits. As such, Volume 4 offers a lot of performances that cannot be found elsewhere, so fans of the featured rappers should take note.

Funkmaster Flex's The Mix Tape, Vol. 1 recalls hip-hop's past while pointing toward its future. Featuring a wide array of hip-hop styles graced by amazing freestyle raps by some of the '90s top MCs, the album sounds like a mixtape compiled from the radio and 7" singles - there's simply nothing but first-rate music, with no filler whatsoever. Although there are elements of old-school rap as well as modern funk, the daring production and stunning rhymes make The Mix Tape a rarity of mid-'90s hip-hop - it's a record that sounds like none of its competition. It announces itself as an instant classic.