Fat Boy Fresh, Vol. 3: Happy Birthday, Thomas

Hailing from North Carolina, Rapper Big Pooh hit the scene as one-third of underground favorites Little Brother. He spent 10 years with LB, enduring dramatic highs (tons of hype and big-name co-signs) and bummed-out lows (various label drama and the exit of producer 9th Wonder). But he always stayed busy making music, including his excellent solo debut, Sleepers. Since the group disbanded in 2010, he's been especially active in the studio, dropping five new albums and a pair of well-received mixtapes (Rapper's Delight and The Purple Tape). On Fat Boy Fresh Vol. 3, he teams up with The Mighty DR, who produces every track here. As usual, Pooh's personable, everyman vibe comes off great, with down-to-earth and highly likeable verses laid over an array of perpetually smooth and seriously funked-out instrumentals. For the most part, this is outstanding. Check out "Don't Change," "Gold Chain," and "Steve Harvey."