One of Cali's finest, The Grouch, is returning on April 8th with a new disc, Show You The World. I've been down with the the Living Legends crew and their affiliates for nearly a decade--they are giants in Bay Area hip-hop history, and Grouch helped lay the foundation. Dude has been producing for everyone in the Bay that matters, and for a long-ass time now.

I had a chance to peep the new album, and it's fire. Definitely getting some votes for best of 2008. Grouch blends lyrical sensibility with a hyphy aesthetic that is just magic, something I haven't heard since Zion I and DJ Shadow's most recent efforts (which were panned by hip-hop pundits). It's not all Rick Rock or anything; it's fun without being overpowering, and maintains diversity throughout.

There's a lot of accumulated wisdom on the disc, with Murs, Bicasso an others showing up for some features. I can't recommend it enough.