selections hail from last years crop of dope but slept on LPs, including De La's "Bionix" and Masta Ace's Greg Nice-laced "Don't Understand," arguably the best track off one of 2001's most impressive albums. Other hip-hop treats come courtesy of Jigmastas ("Don't Get It Twisted"), the X-Men ("X-ecutioner's Theme Song"), Dilated ("Clockwork"). Also featured is a freestyle from Encore, whose debut LP Self-Preservation dropped on 75Ark two years back.
      Known for embracing and experimenting with sounds far removed from traditional "beats and rhymes," there's also a good share of artsy, non-rap joints included for your perusal. His remix of minimalist electronic duo Air's "Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi" is a mellow slice of heaven. The soft horns, chill synths, and snappy breakbeats are fantastic, while rhythmic guitar strums and soundclips of Peter Sellers' The Party (one of the funniest movies ever made), push it well over the top. Tortoise, Zero 7, Fantomas, and The Doves also represent, as well as his own groups Lovage and Gorillaz, with "Stroker Ace" and "Latin Simone" respectively.
      The eclectic combination of different styles may confuse more closed-minded listeners, but the Automator has never been one to be easily pigeon-holed. The only real problem is the messed-up, Ghostface-style track listing, which makes it tricky to identify a few of the tunes. Still, Wanna Buy A Monkey? is a nice compilation, and one of the more diverse collections in recent memory.

- Brolin Winning