Coming off 2005’s massive wave of interest in Texas hip-hop, Trae’s debut for Houston powerhouse Rap-A-Lot arrived at the perfect time and generated acclaim from rap and mainstream rock fans alike. Some of this attention came from the fact that Restless presented a unified definition of Houston hip-hop at a moment when all of America was trying to characterize the region’s sound. The bigger factor was Trae’s own inimitable technique. With a style that speaks to the experience of a seasoned veteran, Trae matches blindingly fast rhymes with a deep-toned gravelly voice like a veteran; it's hard to believe he was only 25 when the album was recorded. Besides unpacking the anxiety of Trae’s life, songs like “Screw Done Already Warned Me,” “Pop Trunk Wave,” and the colossal Three Six Mafia production “Cadillac” are perfect summations of Houston’s low, slow, and bangin’ style. The album’s centerpiece is the magnificent “D. Swang,” a muggy, momentous anthem that gained added weight when its two guest stars, Big Hawk and Pimp C., died in the months following the song’s release.