45 Live

AMG Review of 45 Live

David Jeffries
All Music Guide

A labor of love that you can pop and lock to, 45 Live is Peanut Butter Wolf’s tribute to hip-hop’s golden age. Specifically, it focuses on that short sliver of time during the golden age when the 45 had not yet fallen to the mighty 12”, and while most of the tracks here weren’t on an actual 45, they do capture the 7” spirit. DJ/producer/label owner Wolf’s deep knowledge of this era has few equals, but his desire to communicate a love of this music comes first, making this history lesson one of the hippest party starters to come out of the underground. Past the ones you might know -- Fearless Four’s “Rockin’ It,” Biz Markie’s “Make the Music with Your Mouth, Biz,” Dimples D.’s “Sucka DJ” -- there’s a wealth of forgotten and undiscovered gems, including Tricky Tee’s disco-crazed theme song and Universal Two’s funky “Dancin’ Heart,” which breaks out the whistle along with the handclaps. Unless you have a time machine at the ready and an ancient flyer for a Kool Herc party, 45 Live is the throwback of choice. On the CD and digital download versions, Wolf creates a pleasing mix out of these tracks, but hardcore fans might also want to seek out Stones Throw’s limited-edition vinyl box set, which is unmixed and packages each of these cuts in the form of a Peanut Butter Wolf re-edit and on their own 7”.