Prince Po

There's a basic principle in both hip hop and dating that Prince Po long ago violated: Never stand next to someone more attractive than yourself; it makes you look bad. As one half of hip hop supergroup Organized Konfusion, Prince Po shared microphone duties with the endlessly charismatic Pharoah Monche. And while Pharoah has gone on to solo acclaim -- recently signing with Eminem's Shady Records -- The Slicknessmarks the first time that Prince Po has stepped out from behind his former partner's shadow, and the album confirms what we'd always suspected: Po is a competent if not great MC. His terse, nasal flow complements the impressive roster of producers: Madlib on "Too Much," Danger Mouse on "Social Distortion," and J-Zone on "It's Goin' Down." And with excellent guest spots by MF Doom, Jemini, and Raekwon, The Slicknessis one hell of an album, if not necessarily proof that Po can hold down a full-length by himself.