Latch-Key Child

In 1996, 13-year-old A+ took the hip hop world by storm with this great debut, "The Latch-Key Child." The Hempstead, Long Island native had barely entered his teenage years but commanded great respect on the mic, displaying a hard, intelligent style fitting of the grimy New York underground scene. A+ asserts himself lyrically, and he also tells stories, speaks of his growing up, and makes a few catchier tracks aimed for the mainstream. You will not believe that this great rapper is only 13, he is so intelligent and hardened, and he is not constrained by profanities. While there are no big-name producers, the production is consistently outstanding, always matching his lyricism. There are a few club/party songs, each produced very well, but the rest of the songs have a very grimy, underground sound to them. A+ is also aided by an awesome crew of guest rappers, including Q-Tip, Prodigy, and AZ, three of NYC's best. "The Latch-Key Child" is a really awesome album and another that is shamefully slept-on and overlooked.