Chris Brown, Boy in Detention

Since he first rapped on his 2011 smash hit “Look at Me Now,” Chris Brown has been teasing fans with more bars, and they have been patiently waiting for more rhyme-slinging from the R&B singer. Now, with the release of his Boy in Detention mixtape, C.B.—who goes by the rap alias MC Breezy this time—not only satisfies the palates of his followers, but also proves to naysayers that he is more than just a talented (if troubled) crooner.

On opener “First 48,” Chris’s lyrical flow appears naturally diverse as he brags about the cars he drives and his sexual prowess (“Neighbors mad at me cause I fuck too loud,” he raps) over static hand-claps. Meanwhile, “Crazy” is full off braggadocio (“I’m the shit, nigga!”) and the stand-out track “Real Hip-Hop #4,” part of a trilogy produced by 9th Wonder, finds CB defiantly cursing his haters.

While the subject matters on Boy in Detention are, like far too many hip-hop sets, limited to clubbing (“100 Bottles”), sexing (“Freaky I’m Iz,” “Body on Mine”) and stuntin' (“Spend it All,” “100%”), Chris Brown proves that he's a capable rapper—probably a better one than a lot of the rhymers out today. And this 21-song tape is, at the very least, a respectable piece of work. Leggo! —Mariel Concepcion