A favorite of hardcore B-boys and beatheads around the world, Diamond D is a legendary producer/emcee best known for his work with Diggin in the Crates and his undeniably classic 1992 debut album, Stunts, Blunts, and Hip Hop. Over the last 20 years he's worked with countless artists from both coasts, including The Fugees, Pharcyde, Big L, Fat Joe, KRS-One, OutKast, and Bumpy Knuckles. The Huge Hefner Chronicles is his first studio album since 1997's Hatred, Passions, and Infidelity, and it finds him focusing more on rhyming while letting various other producers (Nottz, Jesse West, Illmind, DJ Scratch, etc.) handle most of the tracks. Diamond's mellow, near-monotone flow and old-school rhyme style still sound good, but his exceptional beatwork is sorely missed. While not as crucial as his older material, this is definitely better than most rap coming out these days. Check out the Def Jef–produced "It'll Be Alright," "I Wanna Leave," and "Baby."