One of the sharpest, most consistent, and most prolific rappers working today, Queens-bred Mayhem Lauren debuted on a J-Love mixtape back in 2004. He's been steadily building his rep and discography ever since. Closely affiliated with Action Bronson, he rocks a NYC-centric street-lyricist style that's clearly influenced by golden-era standard-bearers like Raekwon, Nas, Cormega, and G Rap—a style that's increasingly rare with today's techno beats and tight-pants emo-rap scene. To date, he's appeared on a zillion mixtapes and compilations and released critically acclaimed solo albums like Self Induced Illness, Clarified Butter, and Got the Fever, among others. On Raw Cashmere, he connects with producer Ice Rocks for 10 tracks that continue to exhibit his raw-dog wordplay and ear for classic-sounding mid-'90s beats. There's not a bad song here, but "Critical Thinking," "Majestic Movements," "Guns in the Playpen," and "Word on the Streets" are especially dope.