Church Musick

A ferociously lyrical emcee hailing from Fairfield, Calif., Gigio is part of the Associated Fresh crew and half of the group Grand Sunz. He's been dropping exceptional solo releases since 2007, when he put out Something Wicked This Way Comes. Church Musick appeared the following year and features 18 tracks loaded with highly quotable verses and fantastic, sample-saturated production. Positive without being cheesy and rugged without spouting the usual thugged-out clichés, his vocal style is refreshingly diverse. He gives us rapid-fire battle joints, vividly autobiographical storytelling, plenty of subtle humor, and soulful crooning. Over the years he's put out more than 10 more full-lengths (all of them great), but this remains a highlight. Everything here is dope, though "Sumthin' 4 the Children," "Family Affair," "Terrorist," and "The Way U Want It Done" are standouts. He remains mostly unknown outside of his NorCal hood, but it seems just a matter of time before the rest of the world wakes up.