(Definitive Jux) www.definitivejux.net

Ice Cube's cousin started as a goofy hit-maker ("Mistadobalina") but record company battles and his slacker tendencies kept him on the shelf for a while. Then he came back strong in the new millennium with his side projects (the futuristic Deltron 3000, Hieroglyphics, Gorillaz). Eight years since his last record, DTFH still has a wonderful, stream-of-conscious rhyming style, laid over brief funk/soul loops. After announcing his return ("Raw Sewage"), he takes a light swipe against gangstas ("Back in the Chamber"), but then spins his wheels with languid rhymes and weary boasts until the end where he gets a good flow going with a sing-a-long chorus ("Str8t Up and Down") and Ladybug Mecca's sexy femme rapping ("I Got You"). Download those last two songs and otherwise, stick with the Del's cockier, weirder albums (1998's Future Development, 2000's Both Sides of the Brain) and hope that he gets his confidence back soon.

Standout Tracks: “Str8t Up and Down,” “I Got You” JASON GROSS