Various Artists: Island Def Jam Recordings Presents No. 1 Spot

Compilations of a single artist's videos often lack variety in both style and subject matter. But with Island Def Jam's collection of 14 music videos, if you don't like one chart-topper, just stay tuned—a few minutes later there'll be a breath of fresh musical air. LL Cool J, Dru Hill, and Montel Jordan all make multiple appearances, with Jordan's work (particularly the good-natured party primer "This Is How We Do It") holding up the best. LL Cool J's old-school, almost singsong rap seems a little quaint, especially his "I Need Love" and "Luv U Better," which both deviate from the norm here by portraying LL as a sensitive, enlightened, one-woman type, emphasizing love over sex in his romantic overtures. With Master P (in a guest appearance on Jordan's overtly sexual "Let's Ride”), Sisqo ("Incomplete") and the cigar-chomping Jay Z ("Excuse Me Miss") on hand, there's plenty of bling, but there's also lots of solid grooves. Def Jam saves the best for last, a hilarious "Stand Up" by Chris "Ludacris" Bridges that features big hair, animation, wheelchair-bound break dancers, large booties, and Ludacris as the dancing baby from Ally McBeal's hallucinations. A must-see for fans, this DVD could also serve as a solid primer for neophytes wanting to get their R&B/rap/hip-hop groove on. Presented in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo, this is recommended. Aud: P. (M. Moore)