A long, long time ago (say the '90s), R&B and hip-hop were like The Odd Couple's Felix and Oscar, often grouped together even though they were at odds.

Styles P is a character actor. Which isn't to say the man they call the Ghost is faking his guns-'n'-drugs talk; his iron vacation at the Valhalla Correctional Facility ensures that no one has to check his résumé.

Young Jeezy doesn't need anyone to give him the best of both worlds. Behind door number one, the Atlanta native has President Hova and Def Jam, who are capitalizing on his underground mix-tape success by releasing Jeezy's major-label debut, Let's Get It. Behind door number two, he has P. Diddy, who chose Jeezy for his prefab Southern rap supergroup, Boyz N Da Hood.

Slim Thug already had his name in the credits of two mix-tape heatseekers (his own "3 Kings" and Mike Jones' "Still Tippin'") by the time he signed with Geffen. And for his major-label debut, the hulking Texas MC could have kept pouring the same old syrup -- painkilling fonk, flossing lyrics -- that started his buzz in the first place.

On “Let Me In,” the first single from Nashville rapper Young Buck’s debut album, concealed weapons, underage drinking, and brazen flossing are the order of the day. Foes are shouted down; diamond-encrusted burners are waved.