Cold Heat—the Queens duo of Emcee Jak D and producer Jay W—has been steadily building a rep since the mid-'00s, enlightening listeners with a distinct true-school vibe. Cold Heat dropped its first album, Bar Hoppin, on the longstanding Bay Area label Bomb Hip Hop, and the duo has since worked with a gang of old-school OGs, including Sadat X and Buckshot. On Life Behind Bars, Cold Heat breaks us off with 17 more throwback-style anthems, collaborating with the likes of OC ("Listen Up"), Torae ("When It Rains"), and Craig G, Sean Price, and Large Professor ("Why You Gonna Do That"). Thunderously funky beats and punchline-heavy bravado are the order of the day, and pretty much every joint here will inspire you to nod your head like a maniac and/or start throwing down windmills on the nearest piece of cardboard. It's fantastic stuff from an underrated duo; don't sleep on "When It Rains," "Everybody Can't Rap," and "Jakin' Our Style."