9th Wonder is humble. He has worked with the best of them (Jay-Z, Destiny's Child, Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, Ludacris to name a few) and the most critically acclaimed of them (Little Brother, Murs, Wale, Phonté, Obie Trice to name a few). He has the ability to produce hip hop and R&B at a level higher than most but you probably won't hear him shouting that from the rooftops - his music production speaks for him. 9th's fourth compilation album The Wonder Years is nod to the balance of simplicity and complexity of hip hop. While the production backs some of the hippest artists in and out of the industry, the music shines subtly, still soulful as is 9th's signature, but softer and smoother. The focus is on the foundations of the hip hop genre - soul, funk, and R&B- along with its main pillar - MCing. Humility is the sentiment of the album; on the opening track "Make It Big" featuring Khyrsis, 9th poses that "we don't decide our own legacies, people will decide for you" which leads into an syncopated soul sampling storytelling by Ninth Wondra (9th's rap alter ego) about his hip hop journey from first grade and on. Even with name-dropping his accomplishments, 9th is just stating facts, cool not cocky. The featured hip hop artists are lyricists choosing to focus social issues in the neighborhoods of their own hip hop stories instead of the commercialism and materialism that is the current state of hip hop. Wonder is North Carolina's hometown hero and The Wonder Years highlights artists from the area, the influence of coastal genres is ever-present on California chill "Enjoy" featuring Warren G and Kendrick Lamar and New York stoop, head-bobbing "No Pretending" featuring Big Remo and The Wu's Raekwon. 9th does R&B well too. Brooklyn's Mela Machinko's voice is perfect as a repentant lover against 9th's contemporary 60s girl group inspired production on "Now I'm Being Cool." The songstress Marsha Ambrosius is in her usual angelic voice flowing and riding the beat on "Peanut Butter & Jelly." And as if an already great song could get any better, 9th revisits his own production of Erykah Badu's "20 Feet Tall" (from 2010's New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)) adding drum beats and North Carolina's resident b-girl Rapsody; the song becomes even more declarative than its original. The album's track blend well and 9ths production is a throwback while remaining contemporary and interesting. 9th is concerned with upholding a standard of hip hop he feels is being left behind but with albums like The Wonder Years hip hop will never remain slept on for too long.