Return of the Trill

Trust one of the godfathers of Houston rap to deliver a crash course in aging gracefully. On his fifth solo album, Bun B delves deep into the sounds of Texas trill—think syrupy organs, trunk-rattling bass, and hard-knocks narratives—that he and the late Pimp C helped pioneer as UGK. But here he gets assists from the next generation of down-South rappers who almost certainly grew up on his music—including rapper/producer Big K.R.I.T., who contributes half the album’s beats. Bun’s storytelling peaks with “Blood on the Dash,” a tense back-and-forth between a driver and a police officer that’s thoughtful without being preachy.