Dead Prez

Afrika Bambaattaa was a gangster and Tupac was a prophet, so this teaming of New York agitprop kings Dead Prez and West Coast gangstas the Outlawz (Tupac's former crew) does makes sense. Where groups like the Coup undercut their polemics with a hint of humor, Dead Outlawz underline their themes with sorrow. "Like a Window" tracks the tragic arc of addiction, while the title track puts an adult perspective on the whole Dope Boyz movement. There's both an internal and external unease here that nearly drowns out the idealism of their political rhetoric.