Strong ‘Trust’ Showcases the Powerful Force of DJing

Rappers are the most visible and celebrated hip-hop practitioners, but they aren’t the only ones contributing significant works to the genre. Take D.J. Revolution, whose latest album (due in stores Tuesday) is one of the year’s best hip-hop collections. Revolution, who DJs on KKBT-FM’s (100.3) “Wake up Show” on Saturday at 11 p.m., assembles a number of respected underground DJs and rappers for the 20-cut collection, which highlights and salutes the art of the hip-hop DJing.

Revolution produced most of the songs and collaborates on many of them with other DJs. Most of the selections feature a bevy of skilled scratching as well as sound bites of artists paying homage to DJs and their contributions. Highlights include “Copycat Killers” with Babu, which incorporates portions of films about serial killers, and “Head 2 Head,” a back-and-forth battle with D.J. Spinbad that has the two facing off as if they’re in a boxing match.

These largely instrumental songs are balanced by several cuts where tremendously talented but largely overlooked rappers extol the values of DJs. Los Angeles’ Defari, for example, attacks DJs who favor CDs over vinyl on the clever “Juggle Me Part 2,” while sharp-tongued Chino XL blends over-the-top boasts with daring disses on the dramatic “4+1.” The only down side of the album is the many confrontational skits, which become bothersome with repeated listens.

*** Channel Live, “Armaghetto,” Flavor Unit/Warner Bros.

When Tuffy and Hakim address polarizing social issues, as they do throughout much of their second solid album, they demonstrate why they are among the most skilled, thoughtful rappers of the day. They place themselves in the roles of the downtrodden as well as the revolutionary, and sound convincing from either perspective. --S.B.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.