Various Artists - The Ultimate Urban Album (CD 2003)

Deca Dance's The Ultimate Urban Album is actually a six-disc set; four of which feature unmixed tracks, while the other two come mixed. Those two mixed discs happen to also feature the weakest tracks in the whole package, so they can be disregarded. For a cheap multidisc set, it's not bad at all, concentrating on U.K. garage, rap, and clubby R&B. The range is quite vast, but it's hard to argue with the selections made. Though it might look like a daunting listen, each disc contains only ten cuts. Standouts include So Solid Crew's "@1 Seconds," Daniel Bedingfield's "Gotta Get Thru This," Warren G's "Regulate," Genius Cru's "Boom Selection," and Roots Manuva's "Dreamy Days." This being a U.K. release, a good percentage of the material won't be familiar with U.S. listeners.