ROD LEE — Vol. 5: The Official 2x12

Rod Lee – Vol. 5: The Official opens the Sweet Chunk x Great Circles 2×12-inch vinyl (catalogue SCLP8-GRCR-025) with a deep dive into the Baltimore Club sound that shaped a generation. The double-LP gathers the seminal 2005 mix that first carried the city’s break-heavy, hip-hop-infused house beyond local warehouses, and it arrives at a moment when that legacy is finally documented on vinyl. The release is framed by the label’s commitment to preserving underground milestones; while Sweet Chunk x Great Circles has no other listed entries, the decision to press this mix reflects a broader trend of re-examining pivotal regional scenes. According to the label, the mix “put Baltimore Club on the map” and introduced the track “Dance My Pain Away” to a national audience, later landing on the soundtrack of HBO’s The Wire. Side A begins with a brief “Intro” that sets a kinetic mood before moving into KW-Griff’s “Safe,” a track that sustains the mix’s forward momentum. The subsequent Rod Lee cuts—“Watch My Ass,” “Watch Em Go,” “What Gown Doo,” and “Hay Whatz Up”—continue the signature syncopated break patterns, each feeding the energy into KW-Griff’s “Your Hood.” The side concludes with a tight transition into “Pokedot,” a Rod Lee piece that reinforces the driving groove before the centerpiece of the record. Side B delivers the historic “Dance My Pain Away,” the anthem that defined the era, positioned after “Pokedot” to maximize its impact. The mix then pivots to DJ Lil Jay’s “Down The Hill (Rmx),” a reinterpretation that adds a fresh layer of rhythm, followed by the collaborative “Get Yo Handz Up” and “You Keep Fuckin’ Around” with Blaqstarr, which blend gritty percussion with a club-ready bounce. The original Blaqstarr version of “You Keep Fuckin’ Around” offers a stripped-back counterpart, while KW-Griff’s “The Problem” rounds out the side with a darker, more atmospheric tone. Side C shifts focus to DJ Technics, whose “Get Up On It” and “The PJ Chant” keep the dancefloor pulse alive, leading into a series of Rod Lee cuts—“Give-em Some Room,” “Hit That Ass,” and “I’m In The Building”—that showcase his knack for looping vocal snippets over rolling breaks, maintaining momentum for late-night sets. The side ends with a brief pause before the next disc. Side D opens with DJ Lil Jay’s “What Chew Know About Down The Hill,” a continuation of the earlier remix’s energy, then KW-Griff’s “Good Man” adds a smoother groove. The centerpiece, “Break It Down Mega Mix,” is a sprawling collage that stitches together earlier motifs, serving as both a climax and a nod to the mixtape’s original format. The final trio—“The Bernie Mack Theme,” “Think About That,” and “Pussy Wip”—offer a mix of playful rhythm and tongue-in-cheek flair, while the unexpected “Horn Theme” by Nigga Say What closes the set with a brass-tinged flourish that hints at the broader Baltimore soundscape. Within Rod Lee’s oeuvre, this vinyl captures the moment when his locally-circulated 12-inch singles transitioned to a nationally distributed format, marking a turning point for both his career and the scene. The inclusion of tracks by contemporaries such as KW-Griff, DJ Lil Jay, DJ Technics and Blaqstarr situates the mix as a snapshot of the early-2000s club network that fed off each other’s energy. For DJs, the record offers a toolbox of instantly recognizable cuts that can be dropped into a set to invoke the raw, percussive swing of Baltimore Club. “Dance My Pain Away” works as a crowd-pleaser peak, while the numerous B-side selections provide flexible building blocks for transitions or deeper, groove-focused moments. Collectors will appreciate the historical significance of finally owning the mix that first exported the city’s signature sound to vinyl. The release is pressed as a 2×12-inch vinyl set, matching the original double-disc CD format and preserving the intended sequencing. The packaging follows the label’s straightforward aesthetic, allowing the music to speak for itself without extraneous embellishments. Rod Lee – Vol. 5: The Official, Sweet Chunk x Great Circles, catalogue SCLP8-GRCR-025, 2×12-inch vinyl, 26 tracks, breaks/hip-hop house, released 4 December 2026. Tracklist: A1. Rod Lee – Intro A2. KW-Griff – Safe A3. Rod Lee – Watch My Ass A4. Rod Lee – Watch Em Go A5. Rod Lee – What Gown Doo A6. Rod Lee – Hay Whatz Up A7. KW-Griff – Your Hood B1. Rod Lee – Pokedot B2. Rod Lee – Dance My Pain Away B3. DJ Lil Jay – Down The Hill (Rmx) B4. Rod Lee & Blaqstarr – Get Yo Handz Up B5. Rod Lee & Blaqstarr – You Keep Fuckin' Around B6. Blaqstarr – You Keep Fuckin' Around (Original) B7. KW-Griff – The Problem C1. DJ Technics – Get Up On It C2. DJ Technics – The PJ Chant C3. Rod Lee – Give-em Some Room C4. Rod Lee – Hit That Ass C5. Rod Lee – I'm In The Building D1. DJ Lil Jay – What Chew Know About Down The Hill D2. KW-Griff – Good Man D3. Rod Lee – Break It Down Mega Mix D4. Rod Lee – The Bernie Mack Theme D5. Rod Lee – Think About That D6. Rod Lee – Pussy Wip D8. Nigga Say What – Horn Theme