Mass Hysteria: Chicago Underworld Vol. 3

With Chicago Underworld Volume 3, the City of Wind continues its current rep as a breeding ground for promising hip hop emcees and progressive producers. The rapper/producer duo of Mike Trease and Gee-Field released their third installment of the remixed compilation series, a versatile mix of 27 crafty remixes, originals, and rare joints featuring some of Chicago’s finest rappers — Common, Kayne West and Lupe Fiasco and Rhymefest — with a few nods to a handful of the city’s still underground emcees like Long Shot and No ID. Trease and Field rattle off their own slick rhymes over equally crisp production, creating a bangin’ house party of head-nodding old school scratching and big beats anchored by fresh R&B, soul and blues samples. I can forgive the minor moments of gangster clichés, especially that silly intro, because Volume 3 bumps and glides so well, it was hard to settle myself down long enough and type this review.