Houston was a necessary step in the evolution of the southern hip hop aesthetic. It allowed the mainstream to digest the truly southern sound - previously only found on "BET Uncut" - rather than the sleeker major label-driven version with little compromise. Now one of the Houston mainstays, Lil' Flip, returns with I Need Mine, his third major label full-length record. And fuck, this is a full length in every non-sexual sense of the word. At two discs, it packs thirty-seven tracks and over two-and-a-half hours of Houston rap. That whole Pac Man sample last time around was fun and all, but this is ridiculous. Just when rap music seemed to be moving away from overindulgent, skit-heavy albums this beast finds it way into existence. Sure, Flip is a charming personality at points, but little else works in his favor. The sound is positively southern, but it lacks the southern punch and drawl that so perfectly characterizes other recent southern releases like Rich Boy's debut. So, like some forgotten No Limit release of yesteryear for New Orleans, Lil' Flip's I Need Mine may well end Houston's chances of ever overtaking Atlanta as the capital of southern rap.

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