Gangsta Grillz: The Album

Capping off a year where he truly lived up to his name, Drama ended 2007 with Gangsta Grillz: The Album, a winning collection of hard street music with one of the most powerful guest lists imaginable. Take OutKast's "The Art of Storytellin, Pt. 4," an amazing track with the duo in top form, rapidly spitting killer lines like "I started out starvin'/Now they got me out here Brett Favre'n/Tryin' to see if I still got it." Just as good but for completely different reasons is the all-star "5000 Ones," which could get any party started thanks to Jazze Pha's rousing production and good-time rhymes from everyone involved. Devin the Dude and Twista are at their smoothest during the soulful "Beneath the Diamonds" while producer Lil Jon stuns with his minimal joint "Grillz Gleamin." "Cheers" with Pharrell and Clipse is up to their usual high standards, and T.I. is welcome on all three of his tracks as he tries hard to pay back his boy Drama for becoming Grand Hustle's official DJ. It's interesting to note too that Gangsta Grillz: The Album really lives up to its title by offering a true collection of tracks instead of mimicking a mixtape. Skip the Diddy interlude (but not the hilarious Katt Williams one) and the intro "The Setup" (it wastes three minutes reenacting the January raid) and you've got Drama showing every other comer how the DJ album is done. -All Music Guide