Lil Wayne

Wayne, the South's most technically dazzling emcee, teams up with his so-called "daddy," the southern rap magnate Birdman. And though this is collaboration, Wayne steals nearly ever song. He's a chameleon on the microphone. On "Over Here Hustlin'" and the excellent "Know What I'm Doin'," he affects a straining snarl before ironing out his flow on the hit single and "1st Key." When Birdman steps in, it's less compelling, but he does have a hardboiled magnetism, and his paternal relationship with Lil' Wayne is touching. It's also heartening that they avoid rap's homophobic traps.