Crown Royale

After two stellar records produced by a team of beat makers, Buff1 of Athletic Mic League has united with renowned Beat Junkie DJ Rhettmatic for a collaborative record. Rhettmatic supplies industrial strength drums and an expansive palette of sounds that complement the Michigan spitter's rough-edged cadence nicely. Crown Royale is a concise, well-balanced platter where flow clinics like "Get It Up" sit comfortably next to contemplative songs like "Looking For Answers." Buff's creative, thoughtful rhymes save his unwavering flow from sounding repetitive: "GM" allegorizes the fall of Detroit's auto industry to explain why hip-hop sucks in 2010, while "EnvyUs" insightfully dissects jealousy. West-meets-Detroit posse cut "The Chosen Show" brings snarling verses from the likes of Bishop Lamont, One Be Lo, Chino XL and Ras Kass over mesmerizing keys and drilling percussion. Named after the whiskey and just as potent, Crown Royale have delivered one of the dopest beat/rhyme packages of '10. Pay attention.