Black Sheep — MCs Dres and Mista Lawnge — were one of the most memorable and important acts of the '90s hip-hop renaissance; "The Choice Is Yours," from their classic debut, A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (1991), remains a staple in every hip-hop DJ's record crate. Fast forward to 2006 and Black Sheep, now consisting of Dres working alone, have a digital-only release that's reminiscent of their classic debut.

8WM/Novakane opens with the hilarious, nightmare-themed intro "U Mean I Don't," a deliberate echo of the first album's "U Mean I'm Not." Here, Dres flips a Southern track and mocks the current state of hip-hop lyricism by breaking down everything he could possibly pimp, including teachers, substitutes, Viacom, fat girls and holidays, before waking up and realizing that he doesn't actually have a hot record out after all. It's followed by "Grew Up," a straightforward drum-and-piano-loop with Dres spewing intelligent street slang about growing up fast in the hood without trips to the diamond district, selling drugs or trying to make bail.

Dres rarely got personal on previous Black Sheep albums, but he does on "Be Careful," a beautiful tune inspired by his grandmother. He gets crafty on "Hey," forming fragmented bars with… read more »