Chingo Bling

El Mero Mero Ghetto Vaquero, the No. 1 freestylero, the southeast side's foremost rapper/actor/comedian/damn fool is back, and he's taking no prisoners with his overground official debut, The Tamale Kingpin. As he raps on one of the tracks, "When we do our nest tour we gonna need bigger venues / I bet McDonald's gonna put tamales on the menus." Por favor, believe it!

While this may be his first CD of original beats and music, a lot of Chingo's message remains the same as it was in his underground days.

He's still not a loverman -- as attested to by the Happy P-produced Ricky Martin/ Enrique Iglesias slam "Swang on Deez Nutz." Over a conga beat and delicate Spanish guitar line, Russell Lee croons these lines in the chorus: "You know we never ever love them hos / Just like to take 'em to the hotel and watch 'em swang on these nuuuuuts / swing on my ballsack / swing on my ding-a- liiiing." "I told you my hotel room was better than any after-party," Chingo concludes. "Now get your chit and go. Next!"

He's still not interested in the major labels' money. On the thumping track "Fuck a Major Label," also produced by Happy P, Chingo duets with Max Minelli and spits these lines: "I know your label like me 'cause they calling me, Jack / we not calling back 'cause the deal prolly wack."

And he's still on the cutting edge of Tex-Mex hip-hop fusion. One of The Tamale Kingpin's highlights is "American Pie," with "the iced-out Gringo" Paul Wall, a.k.a. "Pablo Pared," and Mike Jones, a.k.a. "Miguel Juanes." Over some excellent scratching courtesy of DJ Ovadose, Chingo takes on the soul food question and puts it like this: "North side of H-Town to north side of Tamaulipas / some call 'em chitlins but we call 'em tripas."

Whether you call 'em chitlins or tripas, this is soul food for the ears.