With the resurgence of bounce music, the release of Mystikal and the rise of Curren$y, there’s no denying that the Crescent City has once again reclaimed its place as a hip-hop hotbed. Beneath the surface, the Big Easy is also home to one of the fastest growing underground rap scenes anywhere. One needs look no further than the recent outpouring from battle-champ Lyrikill for a taste of the freshest flow on the block. Since the start of the summer, the Soundclash emcee has released two mixtapes: the first, A Time to Kill, a loosely strung-together conceptual collaboration with DJ Jay Skillz and producer Prospek based upon the film of the same name; and the second, Shut Up and Rap, a heavy-hitting, beat-jacked rhymefest.

One of the biggest knocks on hip-hop albums is that they fail to make a cohesive musical statement. A Time to Kill does just that. Sure, it’s got a couple of flubs. Electro-tampered vocals stifle the menacing soul-funk of “Talk of the Town,” and the R&B ringer “Treat Her Like a Lady” altogether misses. But with Prospek serving up primo beats, Jay Skillz throwing down, and Kill slinging bars with a platoon of underground bombers, the vibe rarely wanes. The funk-rock thumper “We Rock S%#*,” the retro banger “Ugly Face” and the tribal monster “Paradox” all bring serious heat.

Lyricism is another area that seems to have gotten lost in the world of hip-hop today. For Lyrikill, mastery of the mic has always been the cornerstone of his game. Though not as adventurous as A Time to Kill, Shut Up and Rap is the New South maestro’s most aggressive effort to date. While not one to name names, Lyrikill doesn’t pull any punches as he pops off pointed barbs over borrowed beats. “Peasant mad at the crown holder / That’s you,” he blurts in “Three Piece” over A-Mafia’s “1000 Grams.” Later, atop Chalie Boy’s “I Look Good,” he spits, “Put that shotty to ya brain, Kurt Cobain / It ain’t my fault you grindin’ with no name.” Like its predecessor, this tape makes its mark on the Prospek-produced originals. The smooth, rolling “OG Everything” is a solo powerhouse, and the street-soul collaboration “Point of No Return” is a smoking sign-off. Two formidable mixtapes in two months—pick your poison.