Texas Platters Finale

The League of Extraordinary G'z

Time won't dim the deeds of the late Esbe da 6th Street Bully. Fourteen months after the affable rapper's death (revisit "You Can't Bury Me," June 28), the League he founded returns with its first collection of all new material since May 2011, an eight-song breakneck EP plugged by Los Angeles rapper/producer Shane Eli. Esbe's presence pervades every component of The Plug, whether through ode "Neck, Ass, and Elbows," Lowkey's nod on the murky title track ("Tay still alive/Real G'z, you don't get buried"), and the Rittz-assisted "Let's Ride (G-Mix)," a five-minute smoker's soundtrack that pulls a quick-witted verse from the Bully's oversized archives. Elsewhere, Mr. Greezo and Reggie Coby's tag team of the guitar-crutched funk on "The Piss Test (Smoke It)" and S.Dot's ice cold weave with Lil' J throughout "Parental Discretion" reinforce the League of Extraordinary G'z unrivaled depth. Hopefully we won't have to wait another 19 months for a follow-up.