Top Choice Clique, Reel Chemistry – The Anthology

In a town that claims bizarre rap handles like Orangeman and Rusty the Toe Jammer, Top Choice Clique were the pride of Boston hip-hop in the late '80s. Just being a multiracial rap group with street credibility was an accomplishment in itself. Yet Top Choice steadily slipped into obscurity until a box of warped 12-inch singles was discovered by the rapper Esoteric, who carefully placed the vinyl in an oven and baked it into playable condition (375 degrees, 4 minutes). Collectors and bootleggers rejoiced. Liberated from the James Brown cycle of beats, that sample happy 12-inch — "Peace of Mind"/"You Can't Deal" — was proof that the group knew its equipment.

Reel Chemistry — The Anthology traces shelved material from 1987 to 1995, including freestyles and alternate takes. An Italian-American in acid-washed baggies, red beanie and a UNLV sweatshirt, Jawn P brags about turning rappers into bacon bits — with "certainness," even — though his biggest feat was off-record, when he stood up to the Almighty RSO's Ray Benzino, perhaps Boston's most notorious thug, after Benzino had tried to turn an audience against the group. Along with MC Force, P obsesses with the voices in his head ("Troubled Kid") as much as outside influences, anywhere from Hieroglyphics ("The Highlander") to a drowsy Bomb Squad production ("Alright"). This is another important step in reclaiming Boston's hip-hop reputation from Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.