Little Brother, made up of Phonte, Big Pooh and supa producer 9th Wonder, have come a long way from their humble hood of Durham, North Carolina. Too southern-fried to be East Coast and too Philly funked-out to be Dirty South, they have become darlings of the mainstream hip-hop media as well as with hip-hop purists and the backpacker set. While their Atlantic debut is still some months off, the crew has decided to appease appetites with The Chittlin' Circuit (Version 1.5), an extended and re-sequenced mixtape from earlier this year. Made up of a gang of new (and old) unreleased material, as well as a few B-sides and remixes, this stopgap record is hotter than most artists' official releases. Part of the magic is 9th Wonder's knack for making the sweetest soul this side of 2000 (with some help from newcomer Khrysis). But Phonte and Big Pooh are no slackers; they ride every beat with their blue-collar hip-hop, sometimes getting introspective, sometimes getting grimy, but always sounding slick. The album also features great guest spots from Kanye West and Big Daddy Kane, and obligatory verses from the North Carolina crew. Though the new bloods hold it down for the most part, some could stand to step up their similes (Chaundon, we're looking at you). The hardcore LB fan will find the occasional repeats here, but for everyone else, The Chittlin' Circuit is an appetizer that plays like a four-course meal.

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