Keak da Sneak and San Quinn are two of the Bay Area rap scene’s most formidable and respected veterans, and though they are the same age and have both been working the underground circuit since age 15, they had never collaborated on an album before. Their styles are complementary and Welcome To Scokland is intended to be an all-encompassing portrait of the Bay Area sound. San Quinn hails from San Francisco’s Fillmore neighborhood and has a delivery that is equal parts pride and passion. Keak comes from Oakland, and is renowned for his raspy voice and imaginative, inimitable rhymes. These two have such distinctive and lived-in personas that they sound good over all kinds of tracks, whether it’s the snarling street rap of “Welcome to Scokland” and “Streets Don’t Lie,” or the slippery G-funk of “Hollarin’” and “Back to Life.” Even when they are conceding to the syrupy mainstream sounds of “She Fine,” Keak brings enough grit and weirdness to keep the music on their terms. As usual with artists of this caliber, there are a handful of soon-to-be-classics: while in Scokland, don’t miss the skeletal hyphy of “Copy Cat” and jaw-dropping “Blue Dolphin.”