- If You Can't Join 'Em, Beat 'Em is the sophomore release from DJ Format and is the follow up to his much lauded album Music For The Mature B-Boy from 2003. Format is notorious for his fascination with classic breakbeats utilising 70's funk basslines, uptempo b-boy breaks, turntablist scratches and comedic samples all held together with an element of having fun and rocking the dancefloor. As with Mature B-Boy, Format once again teams up with Canadian MC Abdominal and his buddy D-Sisive and also Jurassic 5 MC's Chali 2Na and Akil.
Abdominal and D-Sisive demonstrate why they are an MC team to be reckoned with as they feed off each other's energy and more importantly creative rhyme styles on tunes like the opening tune 3 Feet Deep and also Separated At Birth which sees the two MC's, through the similarities of their styles, have formed a brotherhood "demonstrated in verse". Format lays down a wicked black psychedelic rock guitar riff combined with lethal b-boy breakdowns and a scratch break by Format.
Abdominal features in solo tunes such as the upbeat and crowd moving Participation Prerequisite which sounds like a direct continuation of "The Hit Song" from Mature B-Boy. On top of a funky hammond laden rhythm Abdominal takes it back to when MC's "need skills period... flow and control, intellect and wit". He then delivers comedy rhyme stylings on how he and Format lament about being the ugly sibling on Ugly Brother - empathise for someone who believes he was "given a crappy hand in the genetic lottery".
Jurassic 5 MC's Chali 2na and Akil worked with Format on "We Know Something You Don't Know" on Mature B-Boy and they return for The Place. As fans of J5 have come to expect the two MC's deliver feel good lyrics, harmonising vocals as Format lays down a funky guitar-and-bassline-in-unison riff with well placed cuts and scratches for good measure.
It's not all about MC based tunes, Format originally made his name with instrumental b-boy breaks and he showcases his skills on tunes like the piano plonking The Turning Point with a bassline and horn arrangement reminiscent of 70's blaxploitation funk, it almost sounds like a live performance with Format on the 1's and 2's cutting up samples during the scratch break. Black Cloud is a much more laidback effort and harks back to slow rocking 70s rock tunes featuring a moody vocal sample, catchy bassline riff, soundtrack style strings and a funky guitar lick heavy on the wah-wah.
Format has definitely improved since the last album and If You Can't Join Em definitely has a flow to it - the MC's introduce themselves in the opening tune and worked to express brand new lyrical content with each tune. What I also liked about this album compared to the last one, was the exclusion of skits that really weren't too funny and in some ways got annoying with the last release. This is a really enjoyable album, full of energy and definitely one for the b-boy/b-girl in all of us.