M.A.D.E.

The undisputed king of the Houston Hip-Hop scene and one of the most able and compelling pioneers of Gangsta Rap, Scarface has been crafting seethingly unsettling and deeply personal narratives of ghetto life for nearly two decades. Made is Scarface’s first proper solo album since 2002’s superlative The Fix. It is tightly composed, and surprisingly low key, finding Scarface taking his already formidable lyrical virtuosity to new heights, all the while reflecting on the development of the Houston scene that he helped create, the toll levied on his Fifth Ward neighborhood by drugs and violence, and what he sees as the American government’s rampant neglect of America’s poorest citizens. Though nearly every track here is outstanding, the world weary “Who Do You Believe In?” is unmistakably the album’s centerpiece. N.O. Joe, who has served as one of Rap-a-lot’s finest in house producers since the label’s inception, provides the track with a deeply-worn Southern groove that serves as the perfect backdrop for Scarface's forlorn and occasionally bitter ruminations. Scarface has stated that Made will be his last album. If so, it stands as a masterful capstone on the career of one of Hip-Hop’s most talented artists.