SCEF,My Life of Rhyme: We have family in the area, one of the most remote areas of East Texas, so we're always amused to find someone else from Newton and Jasper. (Those two towns make Lufkin look like the big city.) SCEF, who is also from that part of the world, styles himself as a rapper, but he's as much a poet and storyteller. His voice is gruff and authoritative like Tupac's or Bun B's, but he's a lover, not a gangster. SCEF's topics are childhood memories ("Beat Boxin' in the Classroom") and superficiality ("Clothes"), while the music — assisted by female vocalist Gia and a six-piece live band — tends toward jazzy neo-soul more than club bangers. Still, "Somewhere Out in the World" will have your head nodding. - Chris Gray
