Photographer: Patrick Adams.

Trick Daddy built a slow rep as one of hip-hop's premier thug wordsmiths, first in his local Miami scene then (super-gradually) nationally. By 2009's FINALLY FAMOUS, the thirty-something Daddy was both wide veteran and a name, but still as connected to the streets as in his hustling days of the mid-`90s. He still winds lyrics around hypnotic super-Southern beats at a ferocious pace, rapping about corner stores, fiends, section 8, and his heroes with a bizarre blend of dead seriousness and sly humor.

After leaving the major-label imprint Slip-N-Slide, veteran thug Trick Daddy created the independent Dunk Ryder and launched this new venture with Finally Famous. Free of big business' influence, the godfather of Florida rap doesn't have to worry about the crossover single or the high-profile collaboration, and turns in an album that's homegrown and uncompromising to a fault, running a little long at a whopping 20 tracks. Old-school fans craving the T-Double-D of the mid-'90s won't mind much and will instantly gravitate towards the simple and effective, heavy-hook monsters like "What Dey Do" ("Whatever we tell 'em") and "Why the Jock" ("I'm still dealin' with my haters/Eight albums later"). Some of the redundant tracks in the middle seem more an excuse to introduce the FLA-based set of up-and-comers Trick has hand-picked, but to its credit, the album's fourth quarter works hard to remain fresh. Kicking off with the furious "That's How We Do It" -- a dream collaboration with R&B singer Betty Wright -- the album cruises to its finish in style with the smooth roller "Homie Song," the empowering "Strong Woman," and the classic swaggerfest "Ghetto Supa Star." Well done and a welcome return to the underground. ~ David Jeffries