Mr. Brooks . . . A Better Tomorrow

Mavado has been acclaimed as one of reggae music's most influential new artists since 2006, when his street single "Weh Dem a Do" gained major airplay worldwide. On his sophomore album, the MC continues to prove he is on top of his game. For the street anthem "Life of a G," Mavado delivers hardcore lyrics like, "Dis is wat the gangster life is like . . . me hay [hide] mi gun since mi inna classroom," over a violin-based, theatrical beat. While he continues to boost his street cred on tracks like "Gangster Don't Play" and "Real Killer," he balances the set with the regretful "Jailhouse," which finds him whining about not wanting to go back to jail, and "Overcome," which samples the protest song "We Shall Overcome." —Mariel Concepcion