MF10 -10th ANNIVERSARY BEST-

With m-flo having had ten years on the scene as a pair (originally a trio) of hip-hop performers extraordinaire, 10th Anniversary Best stands as an excellent compilation of what brought them to the top of the Japanese hip-hop scene. The first disc of the compilation runs through a hefty set of works done specifically as a performing group (and with the inclusion of original member songstress Lisa for much of the proceedings), running the gamut from light R&B grooves in a remake of "The Way We Were" to the scattered ramblings of the dance track "Come Again." M-flo have an exceptionally strong foundation in hip-hop, and mastered the art of building basic dance and R&B romps from the ground up. For the second disc of the compilation, the sound gets a little more interesting. After the loss of Lisa, the remaining duo started collaborating with a series of popular singers in the era of "m-flo Loves…," which is covered in depth here (similar to the Award Supernova album). Though a few notable pop stars are absent, this disc provides the best look at what m-flo can really do — produce and perform simultaneously. Any given singer is given her spot in the sun, and m-flo produce a thick track of accompaniment. Simultaneously, member Verbal accompanies vocally and maintains a stronger hip-hop angle in the tracks when the singer moves too strongly to the pop sector. These collaborations range wildly, hitting darkly loping pieces like "Luvotomy" (with Namie Amuro in tow) as easily as a straightforward samba with Maki Nomiya in "Cosmic Night Run." With all the points in between covered and a focus on the danceable, the productions remain outstanding and the songs hugely groove-worthy throughout. Fans of m-flo should see this compilation as an excellent mark to the end of an era of production, though newcomers are likely to find the collaborations enough to whet their tastes, and Award Supernova may be satisfactory.