Down with the mighty Hieroglyphics crew, the Oakland emcee Casual has been dropping game and demolishing wack rappers since the early '90s. His debut solo album, Fear Itself, is an undisputed classic, and he's stayed busy over the years, with quality follow-ups like He Think He Raw, Smash Rockwell, and The Hierophant. Released online-only in 2011, this is a short but sweet project that finds him linking up with 3rd Eye homies Del the Funky Homosapien, Pep Love, Tajai, and Planet Asia, plus up-and-comers Killer Ben and Chapp the Rap Star. Longtime Hiero producer Domino contributes the aptly titled "Flamethrower," while Ohio player J Rawls cooks up the soulful, string-driven closer "You Ain't Gotta Lie." As always, Casual impresses with his slick and intricate, battle-tested verses, proving that he hasn't lost a step over the years. As he puts it himself: "Take the life out a cipher/with spit you can't decipher/find ol' girl and wife her/San Quentin to Rikers/with your man spittin' they like us/from nerds to the bikers/I could do this all night cuz."