A Magical Mystikal Tour

Although he has catapulted to stardom with Master P’s No Limit Records, Mystikal was an established artist before a million fans purchased his first No Limit album, 1997’s “Unpredictable.” The New Orleans rapper’s self-titled debut and 1995’s “The Mind of Mystikal” sold more than 500,000 units collectively, making him the prince of Southern hip-hop.

Mystikal’s appeal rests in his unyielding vocal intensity, his ability to maintain his scream-like delivery at any speed, his vivid imagery and his utilization of self-created sound effects to accentuate his point. To the uninitiated, he may come off as a Busta Rhymes impostor, but Mystikal is one of rap’s most gifted and distinctive artists.

On “Ghetto Fabulous” (in stores Tuesday), the braided wordsmith flaunts his typical dizzying blitz of braggadocio, but unlike the many No Limit artists who dedicate much of their work to gangster topics, Mystikal has a broad thematic scope. He delivers a touching tribute to his mother, an amusing story of his school days and an unnerving tale of a house fire.

Mystikal is one of the few hip-hop artists who sound fresh and exciting with each listen, regardless of topic.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.

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