Representing for Oakland and the Hieroglyphics family, Casual has been demolishing wack emcees and wowing lyrically minded hip-hop heads since the early '90s. He's probably best known for his untouchable debut album, Fear Itself. He's remained busy, dropping independent releases like He Think He Raw, Truck Driver, Hood Music, and The Hierophant, working with younger artists, and touring regularly. On Respect Game or Expect Flames—his second album of 2012—he hooks up with Columbus, Ohio, producer J. Rawls: an indie mainstay down with Lone Catalysts who's worked with Fat Jon, Count Bass D, Mos Def, Declaime, and John Robinson, among others. The wildly diverse beats here are amongst the best that Casual has rocked over recently, while his quick-tongued verses are a flawless mix of old-school bravado, battle-tested confidence, cinematic storytelling, and forward-looking rhyme structure. The result is his best all-around release in several years. Guests include Del, Kurious, Pep Love, and Souls of Mischief; standouts include "Heir-O-Dot," "Fly," and "Find a New (Remix)."