We Comin'

Tough Latino gangsta rap from the Bay Area, Fat Steve's We Comin' is stripped down to the point of stark minimalism. Most of the songs are little more than electronic beats and ghostly keyboards behind plain-spoken raps and the occasional sung chorus hook, as on the haunting, creepy "Northern Killafornia." Guest verses come courtesy of Mousie, Lil Coner, Tito B, and 14 Caliber, along with some other new names less familiar to the West Coast scene, but Fat Steve's garrulous, no-nonsense persona permeates all 15 tracks (one of them a radio-friendly remix of the title track), along with flashes of a welcome sense of humor: the faux-dramatic "Tacos" is that rarity, a hip-hop skit interlude that's actually funny. We Comin' is strictly for fans of the style, but it's a solid debut that bodes well for the future.