I think we can all agree that there has been somewhat of a "grown man" movement in Hip Hop in recent years. More and more frequently, we are seeing artists who are (trying to be) more mature with the music they make. The sharp and articulate emcee may not be dominating airwaves, but with the help of such acts as Lupe and Little Brother, what may have once been niche-rap, out shadowed by the Hovs, and Shadys of the world, has really established itself as a permanent part of the culture. Enter SoulStice and Haysoos, collectively known as Wade Waters, and their debut LP, Dark Water.

Where Kanye has made his name off of dropping out of college, this Chicago and D.C./Maryland collective have actually conquered the education world and then some. Haysoos teaches at the Univerity of Maryland as a PhD student and SoulStice holds a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering and, believe it or not, works for the United States Department of Defense.

Aside from all this, these dudes can rhyme their asses off. They prove their skills on every one of Dark Water's fourteen cuts. "Rock Solid" would best serve as the epitome of the record's general feel. Cuban Link lends a hand and a verse to perfectly executed fusion of early '90s boom bap and funk with today's soul swagger. AZ shows up later and puts a stamp on the east coast flavor of this record on "Speak On It," the only other guest spot and an album standout that speaks of age both in and out of rap music.

SBE Audiologist deserves special credit for producing "Movement Music" and "Tread That Water." Rarely are samples flipped to step to so well this side of 9th Wonder. "Man to Man," one of many gems supplied by Analogic, proves you can be raw and gritty without having to sling or bust caps. SoulStice and Haysoos straight up show off on "Right Back." It's pretty tough to find a better example of sharp "I'm dope and here's why" lyrics. "The Conversation" is a track everyone should listen to. Bars are shared in the form of a real conversation between two aware dudes and cover everything from Katrina and Iraq to Illmatic and "The South." It's real and intelligent but has enough everyman flavor to avoid being preachy.

The bottom line: 2006 rounds up nicely and this is one more dope LP to add to the books. Audiologist, Analogic, Shuko, Kev Brown, Bring It Back and Speaks produce wall-to-wall dopeness and SoulStice and Haysoos architect a record anyone would be proud of. Dark Water may not reach out and rip your face off the way Lupe did this summer, but Wade Waters definitely gets the job done. It's funny, once upon a time we praised the likes of Kanye, Roots Crew and Little Brother for being a "breath of fresh air." I don't think we can say that anymore. This is Hip Hop. It is. Class dismissed.