Opéra Puccino

Oxmo Puccino's 1998 debut, Opéra Puccino, was produced almost entirely by DJ Mars, who evidently gleans inspiration from Pete Rock and DJ Premier. His alternately sensitive and rugged beats are a fitting backdrop for the French-language MC's low-profile yet tense flow. "Mensongeur" is a surprising dancefloor diversion, where Puccino is pitched somewhere between Notorious B.I.G. and Mase. ~ Andy Kellman