Contrary to what people might believe, there’s a lot more going on in the Detroit hip-hop scene than just the supposed recording of Eminem’s latest album. The fact is, the underground hip-hop scene in the D is booming with such talented artists as Black Milk, Fat Ray, Trick Trick, and more. One of the brightest stars in the bunch is Guilty Simpson. A lyrical monster, his latest opus, Ode to the Ghetto, released by legendary label Stones Throw Records, is filled with everything that makes a classic underground hip-hop album.

The album starts off strong with “Robbery”, a track that manages to have a futuristic sound while still keeping an old school essence. Guilty maneuvers effortlessly over the beat with simple yet slick lines like, “Gimme that, gimme that/ Can’t stop when I come like a Jimmy hat”. On “Footwork”, Guilty keeps the streets happy over a hot beat with insane lines like, “The whole game is buy and sell/ Keep the clientele/ High as hell”. On the albums title track, Guilty Simpson, not surprisingly, gives an ode to the streets, describing every ghetto in America, painting a picture with every single bar he spits.

“Run”, featuring Black Milk and Sean Price is another standout track, the beat is insane and the lyrics are most definitely on point. “Yikes” is possibly the best song on the album and definitely the best beat on the album, courtesy of production beast, Madlib. On this track, Guilty goes bonkers on the track and lets the haters know what time it is. While this theme seems almost obligatory at this point, Guilty manages to bring a fresh perspective to the table.

On “The Future” featuring MED, Guilty delivers my favorite line on the whole album and which I feel a lot of people need to hear, “I got a ruger for the coward that hates on the computer”. While most rappers focus on the flesh and blood haters, Guilty Simpson is staying a step ahead by addressing the internet e-thugs. On “The Real Me”, Guilty lets loose over a ridiculous Black Milk beat and the most noticeable thing about this song is the chemistry. When you hear it, you can’t imagine anybody but Guilty Simpson spitting over it. The funny thing about this album is that while it does have a few missteps, they are very hard to pinpoint.

 They might come in the form of Guilty sounding slightly lazier for a second or a beat not sounding perfect for the album but there is no stand out wackness. There are no lines that make you wish the man would stop rhyming and there are no beats to make you want to skip the track. Like I said before, Ode to the Ghetto has what it takes to be a classic underground LP but somehow just falls slightly short. This is however, without a doubt, hands down, an album worth copping. Besides beats from legendary Dilla, Madlib, D12’s Mr. Porter, and white-hot Detroit producer, Black Milk, this album also features Guilty Simpson, a true lyricist, at his best. If it’s a new school album with a throwback feel that you seek then this album is worth every penny.