Later That Day

Easily one of the most creative hip-hop albums of 2003, Lyrics Born's Later That Day fulfills the potential that this Bay Area artist has been promising for years. Like Andre 3000's The Love Below, Later That Day transcends genres and sensibilities--LB embraces an aesthetic that owes at least as much to disco and new wave as it does to hip-hop and the result is an album that packs surprises through every turn. His impressive song-craft helps organize the album as a morning-to-night narrative, with LB waking to nightmares on "Bad Dreams," then sparring with telemarketers on the humorous "Cold Call," and ending his day with girl drama on "Love Me So Bad." Along the way, he picks up a few friends--especially singer Joyo Valerde, whose soaring voice helps the album indelibly gel together and skater-turned-musician Tommy Guerrero whose funk chops help spice up the beats. It's still all Lyrics Born though--this album radiates his presence like the sun and basking in his creative glow is half the fun. --Oliver Wang