Nationwide -- Independence Day: The Compilation is a sampler of material from the newly formed $hort Records, a label spearheaded by rapper
Too $hort. His duet with
Keith Murray, "Independence Day," is among the standouts on this erratic but intermittenly engaging two-disc set; in addition to tracks from the likes of Redman, UGK's
Pimp C and the Hieroglyphics Crew's Casual, the collection also features material from
Too $hort proteges including Badwayz, Young Tay, Lil' Jon & the Eastside Boyz and 11-year-old rapper Baby DC. ~ Jason Ankeny