Hyphy Hitz

Hyphy didn't quite break in 2006. But hyphy, the exuberant form of hip- hop native to the Bay Area, was more visible than ever. E-40, a hyphy godfather (though his extraordinary career predates hyphy), scored both a hip-hop hit ("Tell Me When to Go") and a pop hit ("U and Dat").

Still, with the exception of E-40 (whose album has been a modest hit), Bay Area hip-hop has remained mainly underground. The year's best hyphy CD, "The Slapp Addict" (Slapp Addict Productions), was a compilation by the San Jose producer Traxamillion; it sneaked into (some) stores with scarcely any promotion.

Listeners wondering what they've been missing could do worse than to buy "Hyphy Hitz," a scattershot compilation that gathers some of the scene's biggest names and tracks. This CD captures hyphy's flamboyant appeal pretty well. The playful pioneer Mac Dre (who was shot and killed in 2004) and the croaky veteran Keak da Sneak (who popularized the term "hyphy") show up, and so do younger acts like DB'z (whose "Stewy" is partly a tribute to "Family Guy") and Dem Hoodstarz (who contribute an all-star remix of "Getz Ya Grown Man On") While the basics of hyphy sparse 1980s-inspired beats, zooming bass lines, cheerful chants seem pretty cartoonish, successful subgenres have been built on far flimsier foundations. One of the best tracks, "Super Sic Wit It" features Mistah F.A.B. and Turf Talk, both of whom have eagerly anticipated CDs due this year; that's reason enough to be hopeful for hyphy's future.