If you haven't figured out already, J-Rocc mixes are probably the finest in the mixtape game. He's unparalleled when it comes to skills, track selection, and overall listener satisfaction. The Taster's Choice series is rather low budget in production (slim-line with a color-copied covers), but who the hell cares? This is volume three and explores J-Rocc's specialty sweet spot: old school hip-hop and classics. As expected, he absolutely destroys it with mix tricks, blends, and flow. Witness him kill doubles of Chuck Chill Out's "I'm Large" Instrumental (mental note: see if it's available on 12") or listen to him tease out the intros of "Juice" and "The Creator." He then moves into a breaks section starting off with 2 cut and paste classics from Double Dee & Steinski and Cut Chemist & Numark, followed by classics such as "Melting Pot, Let A Woman Be A Man, Tighten Up (a four minute doubled up cover version!), Honey Bee (Wu Tang samples stretched to perfection), DJ Shadow-sampled Buddy Miles break, and finally ending with some mellow comedown tracks (a wicked cover of Sunny and RAMP's "Sunshine"). 17 tracks in all. Recommended.

reviewed by the mgmnt 05/2006