New York, October 19, 2007 – Activator, Cool Calm Pete, Junk Science, Despot, Yak Ballz, Hangar 18, even El-P and the Mighty Quin, good as they were, all proved but footnotes to the Definitive Jux CMJ showcase surprise encore act of Company Flow at the Music Hall of Williamsburg.  Yes, Company Flow it was, the legendary crew that made El-P, Bigg Jus, and Mr. Len household names of independent hip hop.  Following El-P's headlining set, Bigg Jus joined his old friend El-P on stage and together they reeled off nearly thirty minutes of Company Flow songs starting with the first track of Funcrusher EP "Bad Touch Example."  Though it was DJ Mr. Dibbs not Mr. Len on the turntables, this was the first Company Flow performance in over seven years, since they officially disbanded in 2001.

The surprise encore was not completely out of the blue, however.  Days before the CMJ showcase Company Flow's song "8 Steps to Perfection" appeared in El-P's MySpace music player along with a blog entry stating, " its [sic] looking possible that i may be performing some songs that i haven't performed in years."  El-P dragged out the suspense a little longer when, during his set, he introduced the hip hop veteran Del Tha Funkee Homosapien as the newest member of the Definitive Jux label.  This alone is cause for headlines, but there was to be something more in the offing with the Company Flow set that followed. 

Invariably CMJ showcases suffer when the audience is comprised of indifferent industry types, photographers who overshoot the openers only to disappear before the headline act, and scores of CMJ badge-wearing wankers.  Thankfully this was not the case Friday night – those nearest the stage were the ultras who more than understood the evening's historical significance.  What is not clear, however is if this one-off show means a proper reformation of Company Flow.  This ambiguity meant little to the lucky fans in the audience, or to the guys on stage, who were all smiles for the special occasion. - Damien Neva