Epidemic's debut album, Illin Spree, is custom made for classic-minded hip-hop fans, who value dense lyricism over fashion-designer shoutouts and appreciate the art of raw drums paired with loop-driven melodies. Produced entirely by 5th Element, the beats here are all fantastic, overflowing with moody samples, rugged bass lines, and crunchy snares galore, while dual emcees HexOne and Tek-Nition go absolutely bananas on the mic. Reminiscent of late-'90s underground favorites (Non-Phixion, 7L and Esoteric, and Natural Elements come to mind) without being overtly retro or self-consciously throwback, these guys are definitely on to something here. Eighteen tracks deep with only one feature (Kylla Bus on "Commander in Chief" and "Wreck Shop"), this is a sleeper hit if there ever was one. There's not a wack joint here, but "Sh*t Is Real," "Masters of the Universe," "Livin Proof," and "Rugged & Raw" are especially great. Do yourself a favor and check this out.