Like the title suggests, Make the Music 2000 is resurrecting the lost art of beatboxing and taking it into the future.

Roots fans know Rahzel's unbelievable, but for the uninitiated, multiple live segments (the best of these probably being the "Wu-Tang Melody" where Rahzel recreates some of RZA's greatest beats) are included here as proof. If, somehow, anyone still fronts on "the undisputed beatboxing champion of the world" after listening to Make the Music, they obviously didn't let the CD play after Track 16. The hidden track is a dope "DJ battle" with turntablists Skribble and Slickie during which Rahzel displays *four* distinct styles, which he calls "the 4 elements": Earth is a regular beat with the some backspinning; Wind sounds exactly like a DJ scratching a Kraftwerk record; Fire is an all-too-real replication of "Rock the Bells"; and finally, the Water technique, James Brown's "Funky Drummer" with not just the drums but also Soul Brother #1's syncopated grunts.

Just like a DJ album, an entire LP of strictly beatboxing, however incredible, runs the risk of sounding like a one-trick symphony. Perhaps sensing this, Rahzel's often content to play backup to his guest stars on MTM2000. The best example is "Steal My Soul", a jam session where he trades vocal riffs with Me'shell Ndegeocello and goes blow for blow with Branford Marsalis. Similarly, Rahzel and Erykah Badu have their own charming little freestyle called "Southern Girl". And on "To the Beat", Rahzel and ?uestlove provide the rhythm while Q-Tip gets on the mic and actually seems to *flow* again. ("A thunderous groove like a herd of elephants / and it sounds real raw cuz we in our element / like natural, bout to catch these kids on sabbatical").

Rahzel's repertoire goes way beyond the traditional elements, though. He's Biz Markie, Doug E. Fresh, Bobby McFerrin, Scratch (also from the Roots), and that dude from Police Academy all rolled into one. Breathy percussion, simulated instruments, record scratching, sampling, sound effects, etc. Anything that can possibly be done 'musically' with a mouth, Rahzel does it here.

Including rhyming, which is where the album loses a few points. Depending on your viewpoint, you could say Rahzel was either a featured vocalist or musician on the Roots' albums -- but never an MC. While throwing vocal samples into a beatbox routine is expected, Rahzel quotes, imitates and impersonates so many MC's that he loses himself in the mix. He's like an agent who's so deep undercover, playing so many different parts, even *they* don't know who they really are anymore. In addition, Rahzel's subject matter doesn't help. "Bubblin Bubblin", about a girl named Pina Colada, is the kind of storytelling episode which a more talented rapper would use to deliver a double meaning, but with Rahzel there's no hidden context, it's just superficial (as well as unbecoming of a member of The Roots, who pointedly mocked the playa lifestyle in their "What They Do" video). Rahzel does a decent job on songs like "Suga Sista", but sharing the mic with a true MC like Black Thought can only shed light on your deficiencies.

Taken as a whole, Make the Music is an entertaining and diverse sounding album. And when it comes to "hip-hop at it's rawest form -- the beatbox", nobody does it like Rahzel.