Just Tryin' ta Live

Who among us has not had car trouble, run out of weed at the end of a party, or had to drop a nickel on the needle to listen to a scratched 45? The Houstonian rapper Devin the Dude is a first-person narrator of a blunted odyssey through everyday existence, elevating the mundanities of life into highly entertaining and uncommonly descriptive songs. Devin sounds great here over cinematic production from Dr. Dre (“It’s A Shame”), soulful sounds from DJ Premier (album highlight “Doobie Ashtray”) and his own slumping beats (the hilarious “Lacville ’79”). Come for the weed raps and jokes, stay for Devin’s disarmingly pretty voice, one of the things that makes him a well-rounded and underrated artist.