Part of the exhaustive Salsoul reissue campaign undertaken by the U.K.'s Suss'd label in the early 2000s, Mixing Bullets and Firing Joints is the same exact release as Salsoul Jam 2000 (released in 1997 by Believe in Music), only with a different title and much more attractive artwork.... Show More [+]

Part of the exhaustive Salsoul reissue campaign undertaken by the U.K.'s Suss'd label in the early 2000s, Mixing Bullets and Firing Joints is the same exact release as Salsoul Jam 2000 (released in 1997 by Believe in Music), only with a different title and much more attractive artwork. Unsurprisingly, Grandmaster Flash displays great knowledge of his subject — the Blue Note of disco — with equal love for the label's elegant/organic and pop/electronic-driven sides. Most of the expected classics ("I Got My Mind Made Up," "Let No Man Put Asunder," "Love Sensation," "Ten Percent," "Runaway") are featured, as are some lesser-knowns that are fully deserving of the attention (Aurra's "Make Up Your Mind," Instant Funk's "Slap Slap Lickedy Lap," Silvetti's "Spring Rain," Skyy's "High"). This might not be revelatory for seasoned Salsoul fans, but they can surely appreciate Flash's interpretation of the label's catalog for those who aren't as clued-in. Credit is also due to this DJ for continuing to remind everyone about the deep connection between disco and hip-hop.

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