Compilations are prone to inconsistency, but there’s rarely been an album as paradoxical as Soundbombing III, presumably the last chapter in the series. Soundbombing has evolved dramatically since the 1997 debut, a definitive mix of underground MCs stepping out of the starting blocks. The follow-up, mixed masterfully by the Beat Junkies, harbored the same crews, only now most were household names among rap fans.

You’d think it’d be a blessing, then, that the third installment didn’t get shelved with the demise of Rawkus, especially considering the wordsmiths who appear— Mos Def, Talib Kweli, The Roots. But Soundbombing III is intermittently obliging and atrocious, unspectacularly mixed by Cipha Sounds and Mr. Choc.

It’s likely you’ve already heard the best tracks on the album, like the poignant “The Life” by Styles P. & Monch and the similarly-themed “My Life” by Kool G Rap with C-N-N. But then comes the outmoded “Crew Deep,” from the ironically-named emcee Skillz, or the bland dud "They Don't Flow" from Novel, featuring (Has No) Skillz. Mos Def—who’s currently involved in a lawsuit against Rawkus—should be careful he's not sued for false advertising. I don't care who produced it, the infuriating rap/rock track "Freak Daddy" is some Black Jack Johnson shit.

The clashes continue: you can't go wrong with the umpteenth remix of Jonell's "Round & Round" (featuring Method Man, Kool G Rap and Pharoahe Monch), but when Q-Tip croons "You're dead wrong…" on "What Lies Beneath," it sounds like a Biggie remix gone wrong. Kweli lends more apt reflection on the Zap Mama track "Yelling Away" but his collaboration with DJ Quik ("Put It In The Air") needs to fade fast – like, well, at least half of this album.

Kevin Polowy