Hailing from under the wing of old school giant Scarface is a new hip hop trio called “The Product,” but it’s the lesser known two members that provide the new school energy. While Bay Area veteran Will Hen is a more than capable rapper, it’s Mississippi’s Young Malice who became 2007’s rookie of the year. Though relatively unknown in the mainstream, Young Malice’s newest mixtape, Bold New City proves that he’s much more than Scarface’s weed carrier.

While other rappers seem to have a need to mark their territory with over-energized, bullet riddled mixtapes, Young Malice goes in a different direction. The southern influence is still there, but it manifests as a chilled funk-infused production. Rarely does he feel the need to show off and over-rap with too many punch lines. Malice finds a good balance and manages to match the music with a tight and surprisingly mature flow. There’s the almost prerequisite where-I’m-coming-from track, “Live Through This,” but the young one saves it from cliché by keeping it honest and genuine: “See this road I’m traveling/lately been kind of shaky, unraveling/ baby mama talkin’ nonsense, babbling/ but I don’t want to hurt the bitch/ gotta be a bigger man…”

Young Malice chose to add the old school Scarface track “Heaven” to the album to acknowledge the huge shadow his mentor casts over him. If this mixtape is any indication of what’s coming, Young Malice will be able to soon stand on his own rep.