While fans of Atlanta Hip-Hop sat on their thumbs waiting for new material from Andre and Big Boi, Atlanta’s other favorite son continued to churn out superlative material at a truly intimidating pace. Other rappers frequently use the mixtape circuit to flood the market with half-baked remixes and tossed off free styles, but Killer Mike’s mixtapes are easily on par with his official recordings and are often easier to track down, as Mike’s official albums sometimes languished in the vaults due to record label indecision. Such was the fate of The Killer, an outstanding slice of hard-charging Atlanta rap that was slated to be Killer Mike’s second full length. Though The Killer was originally targeted for a 2004 release it was kept under wraps until late 2007, when Mike made it available for download via his website. Had it been released, The Killer would have marked a significant mid-career triumph. It builds on the low-slung rhythms of Mike’s debut Monster while exhibiting the increased lyrical depth and ferociously focused delivery that would make Mike’s subsequent releases critical favorites.