In Brief

The New Orleans rapper, who happens to be Master P’s younger brother, shows dramatic growth with his fourth album (in stores Tuesday), easily the strongest of his career. Each of Silkk’s various rapping styles has evolved from erratic to confident on this collection, as has his lyrical focus. His subject matter remains centered on life as a ghetto celebrity, but it’s his polish, along with the strong production, that makes this album shine.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.