It's nice to see that a film that places so much value in the spoken word went out of its way to fill up the soundtrack with accomplished rappers: most everyone here has demonstrated on more than one occasion that he has something to say (while the few that don't have much to say at least have a nice flow). Representing the old school, there's Q-Tip, a newly resurgent and provocative Brand Nubian, and KRS-One, who teams up with Saul Williams, a noted spoken-word artist and the film's star, who has appeared on both the Lyricist Lounge, Volume One and Black Whole Styles compilations. Then there's the new kids, most of whom have been around the block a half dozen times: Big Punisher, Goodie Mob, Black Rob, Mobb Deep, and a surprisingly catchy Flipmode Squad. Still, the spoken-word interludes, taken from the film and performed by Williams, Sonja Sohn, Jerome Goldman, and Bonz Malone, put most all of the MCs to shame with their intensity and eloquence. --Randy Silver
