One of the freshest new voices in hip-hop, Brooklyn's Thirstin Howl III has been heavily hyped in underground circles in the past year. After appearances on high-profile comps such as Soundbombing 2 and several hot 12-inch singles of his own, he's finally issued a self-produced full-length album of his hilarious, ultraoriginal flows.

Blessed with an unusual but highly charismatic delivery, courage to flip words that don't always rhyme and a dedication to all things Polo (he reps for the Lo Lifes, an infamous crew known for bold, large-scale department-store-gear heists throughout New York in the late '80s and early '90s), his style is 100 percent raw and incomparable.

On "Still Live With My Moms" (RealAudio excerpt), he gives it up for all the heads who never moved out: "Free rent, light, gas and phone/ A mama's boy even though my ass is grown/ Got the same bedroom since third grade/ Still be livin' here when I'm eight-hundred and eighty-eight."

"John They're Stealing, Pt. One" (RealAudio excerpt) and "Million Man Rush" (RealAudio excerpt) break down the art of shoplifting, while "Bury Me With the Lo On" is a five-man posse cut about staying dipped in the afterlife.

Most of the 27 tracks feature members of Howl's impressive Spit Squad crew, including Master Fuol, Unique London, Rack Lo and others. The sound is noticeably raw, utilizing bare-bones beats and familiar instrumentals, but the abundance of sheer lyrical skills easily overshadows any budgetary shortcomings.

With an ill mix of talent, originality and humor, Howl has everything it takes to become a major star.