The story of the year for hip-hop has been the explosion of Houston’s rap scene in the mainstream market. Mike Jones and his Swishahouse crew receive much of the credit, although it is really due to pioneers the Geto Boys, and lesser known UGK, composed of Bun B and his incarcerated partner, Pimp C.

While UGK’s contributions to hip-hop go largely unappreciated outside the South, Bun B commands as much respect as anyone within his region, to which the all-star guest list is testament. No Southern MC is left behind (aside from Lil’ Flip), with appearances from T.I., Scarface, Ludacris, Juvenile, Ying Yang Twins and Young Jeezy. Northerners and Californians aren’t excluded, however, as Too Short and Jay-Z appear on “Who Need A ‘B’” and “Get Throwed,” respectively. The latter is one of the strongest on the album, as the cast of “Big Pimpin” (UGK and Jay-Z) are joined by up-and-comers Jeezy and Z-Ro over a laid-back Southern beat with electric guitar samples.

Bun relies heavily on guest appearances, as this is his first solo album, but rather than taking away from the overall quality, it gives Trill the feeling of a Southern compilation, almost a Chronic for Houston, except not nearly as good or monumental. In a year with several successful H-Town releases, Trill is the most intelligent and complete of them all, a solid representation of Houston’s rap scene at its peak.