Use of hip-hop’s ‘golden age’ umbrella has been blacklisted as something dirty, and 30-something rap fans have had their status demoted to an unflattering ‘fogey’. But while the new skool want past times made redundant, golden agers will not be censured. Doctor’s Orders medic with the most and sometime DT ink-smith Spin Doctor gives the puritan camp their rightful sound-off, sending down early-to-mid-'90s reminders of liquid beats and rhymes when everyone was on top of their game, including the very genre of hip-hop itself before Puffy embarked on a transparent hijacking.
 
All in the finest fettle are The Fugees before the egos took over, The Pharcyde before the weed smoke became too much, when Lil Kim wasn’t a running joke and Busta Rhymes when he wasn’t so all over the shop (ironically Ill Vibe isn’t signature hyperactivity, but a lounging tongue-lash). It’s also a glance back to times when Pete Rock & CL Smooth and A Tribe Called Quest were tours de force and would never go their separate ways, and there’s a significant 2009 hip-hop presence involved who’ve long forgotten how to stay golden (argue amongst yourselves).
 
With a four-way Diggin in the Crates pivot featuring Showbiz & AG, Big L and Lord Finesse (“rap ain’t sh*t if it ain’t real” empties out a nutshell for the compilation to occupy), The Golden Age gets its greatest glow. The drums from the DITC crew always seem to out-thwack its competitors, underneath easy/uneasy burbles and a real sense of stoop-slumping antagonism picking out potential targets from across the street. KRS-One cuts the crap while lampooning The Beverly Hillbillies (MCs Act Like They Don’t Know), and Nas (the original, future-of-the-game version) closes, epitomising the strut of the baggy jeaned on the always fierce Halftime.
 
One sole quibble; the inclusion of Mobb Deep’s Burn. A great, bass-thumbing tune, but a) definitely not golden era, b) certainly not vintage Mobb Deep, and c) not even a product of the '90s (released in the new millennium). Dunno if it’s a deliberate red herring to catch listeners out, but purists will be steaming around the 49 minute mark.

Fluently mixed and blessedly not plastered in shout-outs and superfluous bumf (SD does allow himself one personal DIY remix of De La Soul), it’s a real, straight tunage mix like they used to make with the headnod factor (arguably the essential ingredient to golden age fabric) rating highly. What should’ve been included is an argument that will probably never be settled, so props to the Doc for not loading this with tracks that would make everyone’s top 10s (e.g., going for Das EFX’s Microphone Master instead of Mic Checka). It doesn’t matter whether you agree if this is ‘pure’ or ‘real’ hip-hop; it’s never a crime to look back one in a while, and SD’s amber nectar hits hip-hop’s sweet spot.

Tracklisting:
 
Brand Nubian – Word is Bond
The Pharcyde – Passin’ Me By
The Fugees – Fu-gee-la
The Roots – Distortion to Static
Common – Reminding Me of Sef
Pete Rock & CL Smooth – The Main Ingredient
Busta Rhymes – Ill Vibe
Black Moon – How Many Emcees
KRS One – MCs Act Like They Don’t Know
Junior MAFIA – Players Anthem
Big L – MVP
Showbiz & AG – As You Know Now (remix)
Lord Finesse – Hip 2 da Game
Big L – Put It On
De La Soul – The Bizness (Spin Doctor Check the Biz mix)
A Tribe Called Quest – Keep it Moving
Keith Murray – I Get Lifted
Das EFX – Microphone Master
Sadat X – Lump Lump
Mobb Deep – Burn
Rawcotics – Hardcore Hip-Hop (DJ Premier instrumental)
Nas – Halftime
Afrika Islam - Outro