The Roc Files, Vol. 1 is an 11-track collection of tracks taken from Roc-a-Fella releases from the late '90s and early 2000s. The label is built on
Jay-Z's records and it is no surprise that his cuts are the best here. His "It's Alright" (from
Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life) kicks off the disc with an angry, powerful punch to the gut that dissipates quickly as tracks by second-tier rappers like
Beanie Sigel,
Freeway, and the stiff
Memphis Bleek meander past. The label's lame contemporary R&B vocal groups also drag the disc down:
Rell's "Love for Free" is an overly smooth ballad with an incongruous
Jay-Z rap pasted in, while the sappy duo
Christión are represented by two weak cuts. Only when "Always Be My Sunshine," a classic track from
Jay-Z's
In My Lifetime that features smooth vocals from
Blackstreet and tough commentary from
Foxy Brown, comes on does the disc come back to life. "The City Is Mine" is the other
Jay-Z track and is an excellent slice of grandiose self-mythologizing that puts the other rappers on the label to shame. What this disc really does is prime the pump for a
Jay-Z best-of disc. That will be an essential collection for anyone who even has a passing interest in hip-hop and rap. This collection is certainly not essential and serves to point out that
Jay-Z is a much better player than manager. ~ Tim Sendra