Remember D-Risha's Big Trouble In Houston, Texas?

Houston's history is dotted with albums that, fairly or un, have been swept aside. We'll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com.

D-Risha
Big Trouble In Houston, Texas (Self-released, 2011)

D-Risha: Rapper.

Allegiance: North Houston.

Human: Clever.

Rapping: Can be smart. Can be funny. Can be cool. Can be preachy. Can be ostentatious.

Big Trouble in Houston, Texas: Second tape.

First tape: The Last Dragon.

Hashtag motto: #FuckDRisha

Possible likes: Fun kung-fu movies; Laura Charles; comics

Possible Dislikes: Himself; Sho-Nuff; David Lo Pan

Y'allmustaforgotability: 96 percent

Read what Y'allmustaforgotability means.

An Exactly 216 Word Album Synopsis: On BTIHT, D-Risha focuses much of his kinetic energy into being clever. He raps things like "Seeing me record is like watching Leatherface redecorate" or "I could give two fucks like Siamese prostitutes" or "The industry is flash and it's hollow, 'cause it's designed to fuck MCs like Erykah Badu" without warning. That fosters one small effect that unfurls into a grander one:

The smaller thing: It makes him interesting. You have to, at least once, give him your attention. You don't want to miss anything. Good, astute writing is fun for everyone regardless of the context. You become invested, same as you would into a good book. And once you fully do...

The grander thing: D-Risha does not shake the Earth. His voice is does not grab you by the jugular and force you to pay attention. You will not notice him walk into a room. And he seems to understand these things. More importantly, though, his wit, which he flexes, flexes, flexes shows that he understand LOTS of things. And that means him smart. And that squares the competition. Plenty of guys are louder and immediately cooler than D-Risha is or looks, but he can match brains with just about anyone in town that you want to name.

That's what makes BTIHT a success.

Best Song on the Album: Three choices here:

The reflexive pick is "Choices," mostly because he says some pretty candid (and brutal) things about his relationship with his mother, and that will poke you right in your heart.

The nerdo pick is "Save The Day," wherein Risha walks through a comicbookization of sorts, ebbing with the croon, croon, croon production, fireballing all sorts of superhero metaphors and euphemisms. (The best line: "Lyrically, your ass'll get capped in America." Captain America. Get it? That's the type of shit we're talking about.)

The correct pick, though, is "Ebonics." Usually, gimmicky tracks don't rate critically, but this one, where Risha explains what very nearly every piece of Houston slang means, is done to perfection. Listen to it. If you can make it through the entire thing without smiling at least once, you'll need to schedule a doctor's appointment quick and get that lump of coal removed from your chest where your heart should be.