On the aptly titled Shifting Gears, his major-label debut, Z-Trip throws it in reverse. Peripheral fans eager to hear more of his trademark mergers will be let down, as he's all but abandoned that formula. But hip-hop purists will pee themselves upon hearing the new unions he's formed with revered framers like Chuck D and Whipper Whip, and underground MCs like Soup, Lyrics Born and MURS. Overall, this exemplary collection plays like an aural exploration of hip-hop's evolution, spanning from classic party cuts and beats that sound vintage without being antiquated, to the edgier angst-filled tracks that close the record. Z-Trip is still ahead of the pack -- even when he's looking back.