Did anyone see how the Detroit Pistons dominated the 2006 All Star Games in February? Four out of five East Conference All Stars were from the championship team.

If I were to put together a team for an “All Stars of Hip-Hop” event of sorts, the Deep Space 5 crew would dominate the line-up.

Instead of alley oops and dunks, the game would consist of their performance on the team’s latest album “Unique Like Everyone Else”.

The crew has obviously been practicing. Their newest release is a team effort from a group of All Star individual rappers possessing solo quality talent.

Three major plays in the album’s game plan include “Truth Be Told”, “Half Hearted” and “One and the Same”. These tracks are a collaboration deserving instant replay. Almost every player takes the court on one these compositions, showing off their skills in producing, writing and rhyming. Sivion and friends put it down on the chill “Truth Be Told”. With fresh guitar chords, the opening verse by the man with the vision sets the stage for a laid-back track telling a tale about the daily struggle and the love of a family. “I speak the truth when I say I got nothin’ to lose/ When it comes to loving Christ I got nothin’ to prove/ In this industry I’m out here just paying my dues…”. Rhyming with Twista-like heat, Manchild, Listener and Sev Statik take over on the piano-laden “Half Hearted”. Listener, sans his usual Biz Markee-like drawl, is a surprising force for this one. The infectious “One and the Same” takes me back to that crazy guitar hook on Diddy’s “Bad Boy For Life”. From the downbeat this song goes hard until the end with lyrical and musical excellence. The team had a few turnovers early on in the game. Melody and creativity is lacking on “Embrace”, while “Mechanical Advantage” incorporates too many elements in the samples and vocals, making it difficult to absorb. The Deep Space 5 crew posts solid numbers on “Unique Like Everyone Else” in the album as a whole. From deep heart about freedom in Christ, to truly hot beats and samples, this album demonstrates the versatility and well-rounded talents that collaborate to form this team of all stars.