Shawty Lo, B.H.F. (Bankhead Forever)

On the heels of signing with G-Unit, Shawty Lo looks to pick up momentum with the release of B.H.F. (Bankhead Forever). It’s been a few years since Lo first burst on the scene as a member of D4L and then as a solo artist with “Dey Know,” but his style and content remain much the same to this day. This, though, is actually alright.

The ATLien flaunts the additions to his Rolodex early on, as the tape’s “Intro” is provided by 50 Cent. Later, Shawty teams with Fif, Tony Yayo and Roscoe Dash for “Haters,” one of a handful of star-studded tracks.

Budding Atlanta rhymer Future is featured multiple times on the disc, including on the surprisingly somber and honest Drumma Boy produced “Bigger Picture,” which, despite proving lyrical lackadaisical, is one of the tape’s stronger cuts. The symphonic “I Know” is catchy and fun, as is the Twista and Wale featured, strip club-ready “Pocahontas,” however formulaic it may be.

Shawty’s bars often don’t pack all that powerful of a punch, but the trickle of his gravely and impassioned flow over a decidedly Southern soundscape of violent drum patterns and scattered synths ensures an enjoyable listen. How his G-Unit situation plays out remains to be seen, but B.H.F. (Bankhead Forever) could be the first step to Lo’s second coming alongside his new team. —Adam Fleischer