State Property
"As pop as we may seem," argues Damon Dash, "Roc-A-Fella's just a real famous underground label." This might sound silly coming from the man behind platinum-plusJay-Zand his pretty-boy protégé,Memphis Bleek, but theState Propertysoundtrack, which featuresBeanie Sigeland his Philly family, actually supports this argument. Aside from some off-key harmonizing on "Sun Don't Shine,"State Propertyis low on gimmickry and thick with street-level raps, as befits the 'hood movie it supports. Each member of the crew is awarded ample mic time, but it's Freeway who makes the biggest impact. His solo track, "Goodbye," is built around an old-school sample and features an emotionally charged flow that sounds like a cross betweenGhostface Killaand Jay-Z himself.--Rebecca Levine