Devin The Dude

• Genre: Texas/ H-Town
• Hometown: Houston

About

Devin the Dude may be the most singular and compelling rapper to come out of Houston. Like Scarface or Bun B, his sound is soulful and his stories are filled with small details of dilapidated Cadillacs, short-fuse drug dealers, endless blunts and dirty sex. The sorrow of this down-and-out hedonism is both acknowledged and undercut by ample doses of humor and tenderness, making the Dude one of the most idiosyncratic storytellers in recent rap history. Check out "Boo Boo'n" (from his debut, 1998's The Dude) where Devin seeks refuge from an onslaught of jealous girlfriends, scheming ex-cons and overzealous fans. The punchline comes when he dismisses them, instructing them in a blurry slur that "whenever you finish plottin', schemin' whatever you doin'/ Wait for me I'll be in the bathroom boo boo'n." Or check the equally great "Lacville '79" from his 2002 sophomore album, Just Tryin' ta Live, where the Dude raps "I'm rollin'/ Car not stolen'/ Probably never will be/ It's much too old and/ Smoking weed/ And feeling fine/ In my Lacville '79." This commitment to detail and reliance on self-deprecating humor has earned Devin a cult following over the course of four albums.

- Sam Chennault