Crossing rap with country and riding hell-bent for the charts, Cowboy Troy turns Black In the Saddle into a hoedown and a throwdown. This charter member of Big & Rich’s Muzik Mafia and co-host of TV’s Nashville Star shows his determination to prove that his initial success was no fluke. His pungent “hick-hop” concoction deep-fries heavy-metal guitars, garnishes them with pedal-steel licks and serves them up with a rapid-fire rap attack reminiscent of vintage Run-D.M.C. Tracks like “Buffalo Stampede” and “Blackneck Boogie” work both as dance-floor jams and declarations of artistic freedom. In “How Can You Hate Me,” Troy takes on the stereotypes facing an African-American country artist with withering humor. While most of the album has an ornery edge, “Paranoid Like Me (“Tis the Season of Discontent)” takes a moodier tack as Troy ruminates over malice and mistrust. More typical is “Hick Chick,” a hard-crunching commentary on today’s honky-tonk angels. Troy plays it loud ‘n’ proud throughout, keeping his smile intact even as he muscles his way past racial profiles and redneck roadblocks. Rap on, Cowboy.