Historically, hip-hop producers have taken a back seat to the emcees and rappers they collaborate with. You may turn on the radio and recognize the likes of T.I. or Jay-Z, but chances are you would draw a blank if you were asked to guess the beat-maker.

It's OK, they aren't mad at you. In fact, they typically make more money than the rhyme-spitter on a track. That may be the reason why 9th Wonder was able to create a compilation album without national fame, entitled The Dream Merchant Vol. 2 (released Oct. 9).

9th Wonder enlists an array of artists to aide him on The Dream Merchant Vol. 2, and he refrains from rapping. So in essence, this is a beat-maker's album that provides avenues for other artists to shine as well. A majority of the guest list hails from New York, with the likes of Saigon, Skyzoo, Sean Price and Buckshot (the latter two a part of the Boot Camp Clik). He also brings members of his group Justus League to the tracks.

In a reunion followers speculated about, Little Brother is featured on the track "No Time To Chill," Rapper Big Pooh and Phonte make it known that time is of the essence with the hook, "There's a time to break and there's a time to build / But no time to waste, no time to chill."

Impatient and tired of the same old storyline, "The Last Time" is a record that provides a raw, lyrical barrage most mainstream rappers have strayed from or couldn't even pen, for that matter.

Naledge (of the hip-hop group Kidz in the Hall) shines, rapping "Lyrical Beretta, spit bullets that sever any arm," and later on, "Known as the prince so address me as your highnes."

With a handful of samples, 9th Wonder creates a memorable beat that borders on anthem-status with the track "Brooklyn In My Mind." Of course, he brought some of Brooklyn's hard hitters to the table like Mos Def, Jean Grae and Memphis Bleek. This collective easily produces the best track on the album.

In an album full of complete productions, there were a few tracks 9th Wonder stumbled on. "Backlash" is much too simple. "Sunday," which features Keisha Shontelle on vocals, slips us as well. She does the track justice, but the soft technique created by the beat has more of an R&B feel, which clashes with the majority of the other productions.

It sounds as though 9th Wonder has provided us with a masterpiece in The Dream Merchant Vol. 2. Though some aspiring rappers will be spitting over his tracks, a few of the collaborations are questionable because they didn't live up to the bar that 9th Wonder set. The age-old problem still exists; too many wannabe's, not enough emcees.