Various Artists

If the past couple years of local hip-hop breezed right by you, this mix is a good way to get caught up. It gathers some of the city's top rappers — including Ray Cash and Chip Tha Ripper — and features a remix of the area's best rap song of 2007, Al Fatz's monstrous "Came Down." Only problem: The whole package might leave listeners wondering what all the hype's about. Track after track of the same minimalist, midwesternized crunk makes Cleveland's rap renaissance seem a lot more monotonous than it really is. And other than the understandable hometown pride that occasionally surfaces, the MCs seldom make the case that the 216 is different from the 314, the 404, or any other place in hip-hop's heartland.