Incarcerated (Deluxe Version)

Incarcerated was recorded in the weeks leading up to Lil Boosie’s imprisonment in November 2009. It resounds with the dual anger and contrition of a man facing impenetrable obstacles. The opener, “Devils,” encapsulates the rapper’s state of mind: “The judge looked at me and said ‘How ya doin’ Boosie?’ / He called me by my nickname, whatcha think I’m stupid, bitch? / You want to railroad a nigga and lose me in the system / But like C-Murder and Mac I refuse to be a victim.' Incarcerated proves that when backed into a corner the rapper only becomes more focused, his truth more fearsome. The album was produced entirely by Trill Entertainment’s in-house production team, giving the songs the homegrown, Southern-fried grit that separates Boosie’s Baton Rouge clique from the rest of contemporary rap. “Bank Roll, Pt. 2,” “Long Journey” and “Chill Out” combine UGK’s hard-and-humid beats with Tupac’s impassioned delivery, and yet the entire album bears Boosie’s inimitable imprint. He is one of the strongest, most irreplaceable voices working in rap today, and Incarcerated shows that it will take more than imprisonment to censor his feelings.