Various

In Underground Hip-Hop: Volume 05, the folks at Urbnet do a good job of showcasing the artists that have made them Canada's top independent hip-hop label. Artists on the compilation put their best foot forward. D-Sisive is at his dark, mind-fucking best on the suicide-themed "Ken Park." DL Incognito sounds sharper than ever, flipping between both official languages without missing a beat on "A Little Like This." And OK Cobra serve up a potent mix of gravelly stream-of-consciousness rhyming over big, chunky, looping funk riffs on "Beautiful." There really are no weak spots on this comp, but there is one fairly large oversight. With the exception of Gee Wunder's "Kid Out Da Hood," UHH: 05 puts a strong emphasis on the more leftfield, clever, backpack-y end of Canadian hip-hop. It would have been nice to see a few more gully MCs included, just to give the album a little bit of sandpaper. That small beef aside, UHH: 05 is strong from start to finish, with plenty to keep heads nodding.