Definitive Jux Presents II

Definitive Jux Presents II
Compilation album by various artists
Released	February 5, 2002 (2002-02-05)
Genre	Hip-hop
Length	50:58
Label	Definitive Jux
Producer	Aesop Rock Cryptic One El-P Insight Mondee Przm RJD2 Rob Sonic
Definitive Jux chronology
Farewell Fondle 'Em (2001) Definitive Jux Presents II (2002) Definitive Jux Presents III (2004)

Definitive Jux Presents II (alternatively Def Jux Presents 2) is the second full-length compilation album by American hip-hop record label Definitive Jux. Released in 2002, it serves as the sequel to 2001 compilation EP Def Jux Presents . Production was handled by El-P, Aesop Rock, Cryptic One, Insight, Mondee, Przm, RJD2 and Rob Sonic. In the United States, the album peaked at number 37 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Muzik	5/5 [2]
Pitchfork	7.8/10 [3]
RapReviews	6.5/10 [4]
The Village Voice	[5]

AllMusic's Nic Kincaid called it "the most legit hip-hop compilation out in 2002 on the label most important to watch". ^[1] Brad Haywood of Pitchfork wrote: "if Def Jux could be defined by any single musical element, it would be the beats", ^[3] he continued: "the beats on DJP2 are dark, jagged, and intriguing, and not a single one of them could in any way be deemed 'danceable'". ^[3]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Same as It Never Was" (performed by The Weathermen)	Masai Bey Tero Smith Jaime Meline Peter Nelson Theodore Arrington	El-P	5:46
2.	"Dead Pan" (performed by Aesop Rock)	Ian Matthias Bavitz	Aesop Rock	3:23
3.	"Sneak Preview" (performed by Mr. Lif and Murs)	Jeffrey Haynes Nicholas Carter	El-P	3:07
4.	"Hold the Floor" (performed by Camu Tao)	T. Smith	Przm	4:02
5.	"F.U. for Failure Ugly" (performed by Rob Sonic)	Rob Smith	Rob Sonic	4:02
6.	"I Really Like Your Def Jux Baby Tee" (performed by RJD2)	Ramble Jon Krohn	RJD2	4:34
7.	"Paper Maché" (performed by Masai Bey)	Bey	El-P	4:32
8.	"Fulcrum (Insight Mix)" (performed by Mr. Lif and Opio)	Haynes Opio Lindsey	Insight	3:26
9.	"Dr. Hell No and the Praying Mantus" (performed by El-P and Vast Aire)	Meline Arrington	El-P	4:38
10.	"Mic Molest" (performed by Atoms Family)	G. Calliste Arrington Ian Goldberg Ian McMullin Tim Baker	Cryptic One	6:03
11.	"Freak Show" (performed by Yak Ballz)	Yashar M. Zadeh	Mondee	3:15
12.	"Stepfather Factory" (performed by El-P)	Meline	El-P	4:10
Total length:				50:58

Personnel

• Jaime "El-P" Meline – vocals (tracks: 1, 9, 12), producer (tracks: 1, 3, 7, 9, 12), executive producer
• Theodore "Vast Aire" Arrington – vocals (tracks: 1, 9, 10)
• Tero "Camu Tao" Smith – vocals (tracks: 1, 4)
• Masai Bey – vocals (tracks: 1, 7)
• Jeffrey "Mr. Lif" Haynes – vocals (tracks: 3, 8)
• Ian "Aesop Rock" Bavitz – vocals & producer (track 2)
• Robert "Rob Sonic" Smith – vocals & producer (track 5)
• Ian "Cryptic One" Goldberg – vocals & producer (track 10)
• Peter "Copywrite" Nelson – vocals (track 1)
• Nicholas "MURS" Carter – vocals (track 3)
• Opio Lindsey – vocals (track 8)
• Tim "Alaska" Baker – vocals (track 10)
• G. "Jestoneart" Calliste – vocals (track 10)
• Ian "Windnbreeze" McMullin – vocals (track 10)
• Yashar "Yak Ballz" Zadeh – vocals (track 11)
• Christopher "Przm" Sheffield – producer (track 4)
• Ramble "RJD2" Krohn – producer (track 6)
• Andre "Insight" Todman – producer (track 8)
• Armando "DJ Mondee" Torres – producer (track 11)
• Paul "DJ Pawl" Iannacchino – scratches (track 3)
• Fred "Fredones" Sepulveda – scratches (track 5)
• DJ Cip One – scratches (track 10)
• Emily Lazar – mastering

Charts

Chart (2002)	Peak position
US Independent Albums ( Billboard ) [6]	37

References

1. Kincaid, Nic. "Definitive Jux Presents, Vol. 2 - Various Artists". AllMusic . Retrieved September 10, 2025.
2. Ashon, Will (March 2002). "Various Artists: Def Jux Presents II (Def Jux, USA)". Muzik . No. 82. p. 97.
3. Haywood, Brad (March 12, 2002). "Various Artists: Definitive Jux Presents II". Pitchfork . Retrieved September 10, 2025.
4. "Various Artists :: Definitive Jux Presents Vol. 2 – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. August 6, 2002. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
5. Christgau, Robert (March 5, 2002). "2001 Gets Better". The Village Voice . Retrieved September 10, 2025.
6. "Top Independent Albums". Billboard . Vol. 114, no. 10. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. March 9, 2002. p. 75. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved September 10, 2025.

External links

• Definitive Jux Presents II at Discogs (list of releases)