or better or worse, we here at Stylus, in all of our autocratic consumer-crit greed, are slaves to timeliness. A record over six months old is often discarded, deemed too old for publication, a relic in the internet age. That's why each week at Stylus, one writer takes a look at an album with the benefit of time. Whether it has been unjustly ignored, unfairly lauded, or misunderstood in some fundamental way, we aim with On Second Thought to provide a fresh look at albums that need it.

Afrika Bambaataa's Death Mix. Kid Capri's 52 Beats. Various recorded performances at the T-Connection. All of them, among ones infinitely more obscure, are revered and fetishized among obsessive hip-hop mixtape connoisseurs. While a few of these tapes sound fresh and relevant today, the vast majority are trumpeted solely for their historical significance and collectible nature, furthering one's credibility in the never-ending authenticity debate. None of these mixtapes are ones you would, in good conscience, give to your curious friend and say, "If you still don't care for hip-hop mixtapes after this, I doubt anything would change your mind." Enter DJ Q-Bert.

After winning the 1994 World DMC championships (the Super Bowl of battle DJ events) with Mix Master Mike an unprecedented third year in a row, the tandem was barred from competing again due to their utter dominance of other DJs. During this time, Q-Bert was immersing himself more into the mixtapes of yore by folks like Grandmaster Flash and Grand Wizard Theodore, where nothing but breaks, mostly from popular songs, were used. In the early 90s, most mixtapes hitting the street were not labored pieces of work representing the DJ's style, but merely compilations of the hottest songs of the minute, with a couple of exclusives or freestyles thrown in as incentive. Inspired by the early innovators, Q-Bert wanted to create his own version of the break mixtape -- serving as both homage and wake up call to current mixtape DJs to step up their game.

By confining the tracks used to mostly the standard breaks already used in previous rap songs, the results are twofold. First, the mixtape serves as breaks 101; study the track listing, and you're more knowledgeable than most heads that claim to be diggers. The other, more important result, is that it serves as a true litmus test of how creative and skillful Q-Bert is solo-wise, setting him apart from his predecessors that assembled mixtapes in a similar fashion. Snippets from a Buck Rodgers and Spider-Man read-along record that segues into a cut and doubled-up version of Rush's "Tom Sawyer," serves as proof positive in the opening moments of the tape that Q-Bert is on a different level. (Take note: This was years before classic rock songs were co-opted in the "play what you want" revolution, spearheaded by Z-Trip.)

Q-Bert's nerdy humor sparkles throughout Demolition. Samples from cartoon and comic book characters, science fiction films, and various education films find its way into the mix. Early on, Rhythm Heritage's "Theme from S.W.A.T." serves as the background for dialogue from a Bugs Bunny gangster cartoon. While a brilliant pairing in itself, Q-Bert's scratching adapts to the dialogue. When Bugs starts blathering, the cuts reach a fevered pitch. Barring a few minor missteps in excessive showmanship, Q-Bert knows how to have his cuts and beat juggling serve as a natural addition to each track, rather than detracting from the inherent funkiness of the source material. Hearing his treatment of a James Brown on the second side, where his scratches of Brown's grunting go head to head with the percussion breakdown, makes one wonder what the J.B.'s would have sound like if they had a DJ in the collective.

While Wave Twisters will (rightfully) stand as his defining work, Demolition is, paradoxically, Q-Bert at his most accessible and revolutionary. Due to Demolition, Q-Bert forced other DJs to look at the mixtape as more than a mere collection of songs, but as a creative work that can stand on the same ground as any heralded album, rap or otherwise. This mixtape serves as a benchmark in Q-Bert's goal to have the turntable be considered a legitimate instrument in its own right.