Sacramento, Calif., rapper C-BO has been delivering hardcore gangsta tales since 1996, the year he debuted on the late Tupac Shakur's breakthrough album, All Eyez on Me. Since then he's spent time in jail and released a half-dozen albums of blood-drenched verses that have found a loyal following among proponents of the thug life. On Enemy of the State, he hooks up with various Cali accomplices, including Daz, Killa Tay, Too $hort, Yukmouth and others.

The title track (RealAudio excerpt) flexes dramatic pianos and tense strings as C-BO brings his notoriously fierce style, proudly proclaiming "I'm a killer like Manson/ Like that nigga from South Central that hit that white boy in the head with a brick and started dancin'." The track is peppered with sound clips from assorted news outlets detailing the rapper's well-publicized run-ins with the law.

On "Nothin' Over My G's" (RealAudio excerpt), he teams up with JT the Bigga Figga and Killa Tay over a hot track flaunting a funky synth bassline, subtle bells and trippy sitars. Other highlights include "Crippin'," "Spray Yourself" and "Pimpin' and Jackin' " (RealAudio excerpt), which features Oakland's Too $hort.

While his lyrics can get a bit redundant over 18 tracks, C-BO stays true to the ultra-hardcore formula that's brought him love from fans and jail time from foes. High atop the mountain of West Side thug-rappers, being a "studio gangsta" is one crime he'll never be accused of.