Masters Of Illusion

A three-man supergroup comprising subterranean beat maestro Kut Masta Kurt, hip-hop's most prolific schizophrenic Kool Keith, and East Bay mic murderer Motion Man, the Masters Of Illusion are ready to conquer the world. Kurt's tracks are better than ever, with pounding drums, excellent samples, and slick cuts throughout. Keith's rhymes are nicer than on either one of his other 2000 releases, Matthew and the Analog Bros.' Pimp To Eat, with fierce delivery and the usual assortment of bugged-out prose. But possibly the most impressive element is Motion Man, who steps out from the shadows with some of the tightest rhymes heard all year. Although its release was somewhat under-hyped, their debut LP is no doubt one of the best albums of 2000.