Various Artists: Definitive Jux Presents II

Hip-hop is littered with the carcasses of labels that shone briefly and vividly, then died out or lingered indefinitely, kept alive through the artificial respirator of catalog sales and corporate partnerships. Gangsta-rap labels are particularly notorious for their short, brutal stints at the top, but in the past few years, a slew of adventurous, progressive companies—including Rawkus, Jcor, Atomic Pop, and Tommy Boy—have closed their doors or succumbed to massive layoffs. Out of this graveyard of dashed hopes and broken dreams, El-P's Definitive Jux label has emerged as one of indie hip-hop's brightest new hopes, thanks to much-loved releases from Cannibal Ox and Aesop Rock. Equally beloved by underground hip-hop fans, the alt-rock set, and the electronica crowd, Definitive Jux has cultivated a small but loyal following that should only grow with Definitive Jux Presents II, the follow-up to the revered Def Jux Presents EP. Rooted in the otherworldly, challenging aesthetic that Definitive Jux head El-P developed as part of Company Flow, Definitive Jux II is the most eagerly anticipated underground compilation in ages, and it does not disappoint. Its 12 tracks eschew the quantity-above-quality philosophy behind most rap compilations, and in this case, less is definitely more. From the irresistible low-end buzz of Camu Tao's "Hold The Floor" to up-and-coming producer RJD2's constantly shifting, ethereal instrumental "I Really Like Your Def Jux Baby Tee," every track on Presents II adds something essential to the compilation as a whole. Blending hip-hop, electronica, and a rhyme style that combines blustery aggression with surreal weirdness, El-P dominates the disc, both as part of Weathermen and on "Stepfather Factory," a funny, bleak, and poignant spiel for robotic semi-patriarchs that suggests a collaboration between Kool Keith and Philip K. Dick. It remains to be seen whether Definitive Jux will succeed where other independent rap labels have failed, but Presents II proves that the label remains committed to making good music on its own terms.