DJ Roli Fingaz has been representing Bronx for awhile, and the man is so busy I'm not sure if he ever has time to rest or look back and realize what he's come out with. Two, count 'em, two brand new mix CD's from the man and if you're a fan of what's going on in hip-hop today, you're going to love this.

What I like about Roli Fingaz are the exclusive mixes. What I also like is that he allows the music to speak, I'm sick and tired of getting mixtapes and hearing the DJ go "YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS? THIS IS AN EXCLUSIVE! OH YEAH! I JUST GOT THIS ECHO CHAMBER FROM EBAY, HOLLA!" By concentrating on the music and not for an open break to speak over, he devotes his energy to creating some nice mixes and blends.

Jay-Z's BLACK ALBUM has made him a part of hip-hop history even moreso, and Roli Fingaz honors him with FIRE BLENDS PART 7, consisting of nothing but Jay-Z songs with brand new instrumentals laid over each of them, sometimes with two or three different beats. You get a few classics in there such as "Can I Get A..." and "Hard Knock Life", but you also have his version of the BLACK ALBUM experience. While not seamless, it does show what Roli Fingaz is capable of doing.

He gets to show off big time in the better CD of the two, the appropriately titled MY TIME TO SHINE, the second in the series so far. He takes some of the current jams of the moment, mixes it with songs that didn't make it onto final versions of albums, and comes off showing his dedication to the artform of mix tapes. You have a nice mix of music from Kanye West, Eminem, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Method Man, Busta Rhymes, Mobb Deep, Joe Budden and many others, and I found myself wanting to hear this as a whole a number of times. Highly recommended.

Fire Blends Pt. 7: TOTAL Vibes: 7 of 10

My Time Part 2: TOTAL Vibes: 8.5 of 10

Originally posted: April 13, 2004
source: www.RapReviews.com