The average Hip-Hop listener might be oblivious to the fact that there is more talent in the Motor City than just Eminem and his bunch of merry men. It’s not a secret that he singled-handled put the official stamp on Hip-Hop during his reign, and the tragic murder of D-12’s Proof brought more attention to “The D.”

But for the die hard Hip-Hop fans that would rather spend their break time from work at a record store, spending their lunch money on CD’s instead of a #1 at McDonald’s—names like Slum Village, Phat Kat, Guilty Simpson, and Frank-N-Dank are more customary to them; and the ring leader of this closed-net inner circle was the late J Dilla.

Two years after his passing, the Hip-Hop community is still trying to come to grips with the tragic lost, and even though he can never be replaced, his spirit lives on through another resident of Detroit. This particular young Hip-Hopper goes by the name of Curtis Cross, but you’ll know him by his rap alto-ego, Black Milk.

In his 26 years of life, he was part as the production team known as B.R. Gunna with Young RJ and Fat Ray, produced tracks for G-Unit’s lyrical general, Lloyd Banks, the battled-tested Canibus, the always underrate d Pharoahe Monch, and most recently paired with Aftermath’s Bishop Lamont for the Caltroit mixtape (derived from California and Detroit). His Sound Of The City album was something that had you coming to the kitchen to see what was cooking, Broken Wax was a little something for you to snack on, and Popular Demand fed your hunger. And now you’re treated to desert in The Set Up (a collaboration with him and Fat Ray).

Black Milk produces all tracks of course, and the lead of track “Flawless” doesn’t disappoint your eardrums. Over his vintage gutter-grimy sound, he lashes out with lines like, “Straight gutta, I mean everything I utta/speaking the language, no I ain’t studda.” While Fat Ray counteracts with, “You keep the b*tches b*tchin’, I got the hoes ho’ing/I’m on slow motion, keep the dro blowing.”

Milk uses a little bit of Middle Eastern influence and comes up with “Lookout” (feat. Name Tag). He may not be that well known but with lines like, “Critically acclaimed/hear the sickness when I spit, the clinic considered me clinically insane/now get it through your brain/I explode over the beat, I’m TNT I finish with a bang” his ‘name tag’ will start to become more familiar. Guilty Simpson and Scorpion join in on “Bad Man.” With Scorpion’s Reggae-influenced hook, the three MCs are in full form over the loud drums and base.

Fat Ray and Black Milk take control on “Take Control” (feat. AB). Milk: “You willin’ to be broke, I’m seeing a check full of zeros.” Ray: “I know I’m one of the best that’s breathing/cause I’m hot, and Hip-Hop that is not the reason/a lot of n*ggas stop believing/they lose their sight/after they bite, the hand that feeds ‘em.”

Every song on the album possesses superb production, but when you get to “When It Goes Down” and “Get Focus” the only trouble you’ll have is moving forward, because you’ll keep those two on repeat. “Get Focus” features Phat Kat and Elzhi from Slum Village, and it’s the BEST song on the album. With Elzhi spitting lines like, “It’s phenomenal, the rhyme is mo—focused than a counter-flo/cold as the abominable snowman’s abdominal/I’m snoring, you been boring/see what I’m writing is the sh*t/and your pen’s pouring pretend urine” how could it not be?

The rest of the album includes songs like “Not U,” “Nothing To Hide,” “Get Up,” and “Ugly.” With 11 tracks (including an outro) the project lacks absolutely nothing. Every song is laced with originally lyricism and that classic sound that Black Milk is becoming well known for, and he along with Fat Ray feed off each perfectly throughout. After you digest this, it’ll be time for his Tronic Summer album. So have some alka-seltzer ready to make room.