Repping for Crown Heights, Brooklyn, La the Darkman was a close affiliate of The Wu-Tang Clan, which released his excellent (though overlooked) debut album, Heist of the Century, in 1998. La never really cracked through to the mainstream but remains a fan favorite. He's continued recording and putting out new material over the years, collaborating with various Wu cats and dropping mixtapes with the likes of J-Love, DJ Drama, DJ Green Lantern, and Willie the Kid. Return of the Darkman is a sprawling, 29-track compilation that finds him working with a long list of NYC legends, including Clansmen Method Man, RZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, and Inspectah Deck, plus crime-rap pioneer Kool G Rap. As usual, the rhymes focus mostly on street shenanigans and pharmaceutical entrepreneurialism, but his ice-cold flow and outstanding storytelling gifts put this on a higher plane than your standard drugs-and-guns rap. Don't miss "Az the World Turnz," "Polluted Wisdom," "Donnie Brasco," and "Devil in a Blue Dress."