Hip-hop's Insomniac magazine doesn't issue CD's all that often, but when they do it's been interesting at worst (Tony Touch's Can't Sleep On the Streets), and a challenging, wild ride at best (The Drastic Jungle Project, a jungle vs. rap collection that too few got to hear). The Mic Planet Sessions falls in the middle with a handful of tracks that are so excellent they eclipse the ones that are merely good. Executive producer Iz Real has been involved with hip-hop since the days when you could catch DJ Red Alert and Afrika Bambaataa at parties around the Bronx. His love of the genre is genuine, and the Mic Planet Sessions is his purest collection yet, blissfully unaware of fads and trends, and only "alternative" because mainstream hip-hop outlets ignore these fully formed talents due to their lack of MTV-styled flash. Veteran Kool Keith's "Spectacular," delivers on its title, MF Doom effortlessly rattles off some spectacular rhymes, and Bahamadia proves once again she's one of the most overlooked/underrated MCs in the game. Speaking of the unjustly ignored, the Mystic and Styles of Beyond tracks are both poignant, and should have most beat-nuts heading back to the store to investigate their quality output further. A little more attention to evening out the quality next time, and the Mic Planet Sessions could equal the excellent Lyricist Lounge series. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide