Chemically Imbalanced (Special Expanded Edition)

Declared his debut album — making previous LPs "street releases" and graduated mixtapes — Chemically Balanced is certainly glossier, smoother, and more pop than anything Chris Webby has released previously, but the Connecticut rapper isn't about to hold the masses' hand on this introduction into his world. Chemically Imbalanced shines bright like it has already shown and proven, ironically opening with "Nice 2 Be Back" on a debut album and acting like this coming out party is a fan festival, which is just fine for an established fan. In the case of blunt-passing, cup-chugging, chuckle-inducing highlights like "So Easy," it is much more than fine as Webby's bedroom productions have grown into well-funded bangers, and in the case of "Set It Off," that's Scott Storch behind the boards, with major names like Tech N9ne, Talib Kweli, and B Real landing on the guest list elsewhere. Throwing "cyphers" — a type of freestyle rap — on the album scatters the pieces even farther; then there's the fictional Ben Stallone character who keeps popping up throughout, which would be a busy, second-album move for artists from previous generations. Webby is one of the first of a world where downloads, feeds, and other Internet hook-ups have turned coming out parties into ego strokes and grand unveils. Still, joining Team Chris is easy on this hook-filled, clever, and cocksure party, so flip familiarity for flash and trust all this swagger is, in the end, well-earned.