I can see the confused expressions already: “Why are you reviewing a funk band? That shit ain’t hip hop!” Chill out fool. The Breakestra is a bunch of guys who play instruments but wish they were hip hoppers. They want to be down so badly that most of The Live Mix Vol. 2 is constructed like a deejay mixtape. The Breakestra plays shorts breaks from classic hip hop songs like The Pharcyde’s “Passin’ Me By” and (surprise!) mixes them together without a pause.

I would be perfectly happy if this album was nothing but breaks, but the Breakestra changes things up with some more traditional funk songs. The results are mixed; let’s just say that some are better than others. The highlight has to be “Getcho Soul Together,” the Mixmaster Wolf vocalized underground classic.

The Live Mix Vol. 2 doesn’t require a well-rounded understanding of all forms of music to appreciate. You can be a “strictly hip hop” backpacker and satisfaction is still guaranteed.