As the Ali G joke starts to wear thinner and thinner, a soundtrack album may seem to some like a spin-off too far. But, wonder of wonders, it actually turns out to be pretty good - a sterling collection of vintage hip-hop and garage tracks, stitched together by Ali's frequently hilarious commentary. The 'concept' is that he's presenting a pirate radio programme, Tim Westwood style ("keep those text messages flying in but don't call after 8pm"), a jaded notion to be sure, but one that works far better in practice than you might expect. The material on offer, meanwhile, ranges from American classics (NWA, Public Enemy) to new British pretenders (Mis-Teeq, So Solid Crew) - in other words both the real thing and a bunch of fakers, which should keep the whole Ali G 'authenticity' debate as ambiguous as ever. 'Nuff respect, aiii.
