The World's Most Hardest MC Project

Coming on strong with that Mobb Deep-styled coldness and a Scarface-sized certainty, Styles P goes hard on The World's Most Hardest MC Project, but that last word in the title is worth some concern. This official album borders on being a "street release" with its short run time (30 minutes), while the lineup of producers includes the mighty AraabMUZIK and then a lesser-known -- but welcome -- set of names (Supa Stylez, Vinny Idol, Black Saun, and others). Still, there's the NFL tribute "Pop Out," which works in some witty De La Soul references; the hard, rolling "Araab Styles," which finds the producer and rapper in perfect harmony; the devastating and heartfelt drug-addict story "I Know"; plus "Like That," where Styles goes abstract for a change. It all works, and there's a winning mix of hardcore and crossover that deserves consideration, but it all runs out too fast, coming off as a taster platter for a better, fatter, four-star Styles P album. ~ David Jeffries|