Lil Scrappy

Destined to soon make his own mark in the world of music, Scrappy has come a long way from the ugliness of southeast Atlanta's underbelly. A soul survivor of Zone 3, Scrappy was born Darryl Richardson in the heart of a concrete jungle where today's rubbish piles of bricks represent torn-down colonies of project buildings once overrun by prostitutes, drug dealers and dope fiends.

Now with the aptly titled Bred 2 Die, Born 2 Live slated to drop late summer, the Prince of Crunk returns with a barrage of head-banging hits. Scrappy continues to supply street people with musical mayhem on the first round out of the chamber. On the piercing street single "Gangsta Gangsta," Scrappy retorts to tearing clubs to bits over adrenaline-pumping production and forceful vocals.

Scrappy goes into player mode on the Isaac Hayes III (yes, Isaac Hayes son) produced Money In the Bank featuring G-Units Young Buck. Flossing new big-faced bills, he boasts his stacks of cash with charismatic confidence. Scrap crows: "50 got me/ Lil Jon got me/ I got a big-ass family/ How you gon stop me?"

But Scrappy is more than just your average hood cat spitting hot sets of 16 bars. On the painfully truthful The Police Song, he confronts the long arm of the law from a firsthand perspective. Atop a grinding, mid-tempo groove and dramatic piano chords, he testifies: Mr. Police/ Is you hearing me?/ You can do your j-o-b without touching me.

"Making music is nothing but trapping. If they dont like this, I can go back in the streets and make another hit," Scrappy proclaims. "My music is real. Other rappers can act hard all day. I am just going to give the people what they want."