Cognac Loungin'

Though it's just his first album, Devino Fortunato is already celebrating the high life with a set of player tracks and unapologetic hip-hop, from the alcohol serenade "Licqa Sto" to the booty anthem "Dance for Me" to the no-explanation-necessary "Ghetto Soliloquoy." No matter that it's not the freshest style, Cognac Loungin is full of great productions, with the West Coast blueprint of syrupy G-funk given a good airbrushing of synths and samples. The rapping is just as solid, especially from Fortunato, but his guests too: Xeno, Ebony Black, Tazz. A great independent production that puts to shame most major-label rap product.