LAB SEMI-EXCLUSIVO! Woah, is this A-Trak's first "real" mixtape? (The pair of mixes that came out last year were both from live shows, so I'm not counting those.) Regardless, it's a stunna: co-released by Obey with eye-catching artwork from Shepherd Fairey himself, Dirty South Dance is 18 tracks and 50+ minutes of Southern rap laid carefully over electro and dance joints ("new disco," if you will). In the hands of just any bozo DJ, this could be a total disaster, but A-Trak pulls it off with much aplomb. Yung Joc's "It's Goin' Down" over Soulwax's "E Talking?" Rick Ross' "Hustlin'" over Simian Mobile Disco's "Hustler?" They shouldn't work, but goddamn they do. Also features remixes of "Throw Some D's," "Wamp Wamp," "Bojangles," "Stuntin' Like My Daddy," "My Love" and a ton more. Loving the new M.I.A. ("XR2") over the Moroder track, and the XXXchange-produced Kid Sister joint, too. This is the best mixtape I've heard this year, no joke. Be on the lookout for the Dirty South Dance 12" with unmixed tracks, coming this spring from Fool's Gold. Comes on a real deal CD (no CDR!) in a full-color digipak. Highly recommended.

reviewed by Chris Lemon-Red