As a major architect of early hip-hop, Afrika Bambaataa is perhaps more deserving of a respectable compilation treatment than anyone. And while his considerable influence has largely been brushed aside by a rap world that sadly ignores far too many of its innovators, Looking for the Perfect Beat may help to change that. Whatever your opinion on the shelf life of his music, Bambaataa was an innovator of the highest order. While many rappers would be content to sample and name check James Brown ad nauseam, Bambaataa collaborated with the Godfather of Soul himself on the sharp “Unity Part 1 (The Third Coming).” The amazing double-punch of “Planet Rock” and “Looking for the Perfect Beat” serve as the centerpiece of this disc, while “Zulu Nation Throwdown” sits as a perfect opening track, in its time initiating a back-to-roots aesthetic that was years ahead of the Afrocentric rap explosion of the late ’80s. Looking for the Perfect Beat also nicely augments the résumé of producer Arthur Baker, a trailblazing dance remixer of the early ’80s. Sadly missing are any significant liner notes or photographs. Also available as a limited edition two-LP set. – John Duffy
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