Marco Polo & Ruste Juxx

Ruste Juxx lays out his M.O. for The eXXecution succinctly on the album's intro: "if cats don't respect the rhyme, they gonna respect the Ruger." The eXXecution pairs the rugged Brooklyn rapper with Canadian producer Marco Polo, and the album is sonically and lyrically analogous to Double Barrel, Polo's album with Torae from last year. MP provides tough drums, chopped samples and thick bass lines, while Juxx kicks aggressive punch lines with admirable braggadocio. The eXXecution works well as a throwback to the halcyon days of rugged NYC rap, but the album truly soars when rappers with more presence and personality than Juxx pick up the mic. Juxx mentor Sean Price rips a typically excellent, hilarious verse over the bouncy bass line and rolling bongos of "Fuckin' With A Gangster," while "Take Money," with Rock of Heltah Skeltah and Freddie Foxx, is a stick-up anthem for the '00s. This is strictly for rap fans that miss songs about death threats, hating cops and mugging fools.