It says something about the current state of hip-hop that M.O.P. had to collaborate with German and Danish producers to revive their classic New York City sound. Produced entirely by the four-man unit production team known as The Snowgoons, the 10-song Sparta—aptly named for the war-ready city-state in ancient Greece—wastes nothing. The beats shove and cajole and wrestle the listener into states of elated rowdiness. Spurred on by their newfound partners, rappers Billy Danze and Lil’ Fame sound 10 years younger. “Sparta,” “Break ‘Em,” and especially “Opium” are more than passable—they're conclusive illustrations of M.O.P.’s unruly credo.