Let’s cut to the chase. In a year that saw a good number of hip-hop releases from area artists, there was one that really jumped out and grabbed me. That album was Diamond District‘s In The Ruff. Why? The simple answer is when you manage to couple compelling production with smart lyricism, chances are you have a dope hip-hop product. And without a doubt, Diamond District accomplishes that feat.

The trio consists of emcees yU (an Unbuckled 7 participant) and X.O., as well as producer/rapper Oddisee. All three are accomplished in their own right, having released albums and/or mixtapes as singular artists, so the major question coming into In The Ruff is whether or not they all can get on a track without someone overshadowing one or two of their group mates to the point it ruins the song. To their credit, there are few, if any, instances where that delicate balance is thrown off.

On the intro, Oddisee states the album’s objective: combine the sound of 1990s East Coast boom-bap hip-hop with D.C.-centric rhymes. And Diamond District does just that. “Streets Won’t Let Me Chill” comes complete with snapping snares and a kicking bass line as the guys navigate their way way around and through the pitfalls of life in the city. There are illusions to the fact that areas of the District are actual and metaphorical battlefields. Block versus block. Rich versus poor. Progressive versus regressive. All throughout, though, each emcee understands what they should be doing in order to better their given situation, but the easy trappings of the streets are never far away.