Return of the Don

Editors’ Notes Never count out Kool G Rap. On his aptly named Return of the Don, released more than 20 years after his debut, the veteran MC slides his brass knuckles back on with ease. He’s as menacing as ever on “Wise Guys,” spitting barbed syllables over cast-iron drums and a sped-up soul sample. “Rest in Peace,” meanwhile, is an intimidating cross-generational collaboration with his spiritual successors Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn, its skewered guitars doing little to drown out the trio’s threats.