by Jason AnkenyVakill's breakthrough sophomore LP hones the dazzling lyrical intelligence and sprawling musical palette of his debut, The Darkest Cloud, to create a lean, mean Chicago hip-hop masterpiece that gives as much as it takes from the city's rich history of black music. Forged from old-school funk and blaxploitation soundtrack samples, Worst Fears Confirmed is both lush and gritty. The Molemen's vivid but nuanced production creates a Technicolor urban fantasia that perfectly complements Vakill's witty, insightful rhymes. Fully emphasizing both halves of the "street-smart" equation, he even calls out rival MCs for celebrating money and violence at the expense of creative vision, exploring the harsh realities of the gangsta lifestyle with uncommon insight and depth.