5 *(star) Stunna (Import)

Warning: Moderate impact coarse language and/or themes.

CEO Bryan Williams helped turn Cash Money Records into a hip-hop empire and one of the most powerful independent labels in the industry. Williams hasn't been shy about picking up the mic himself either, as his successful solo efforts (released under the names Birdman or Baby) attest. 5*STUNNA (2007) delivers on the patented Cash Money style, which features plenty of bravado and sordid accounts of street life over speaker-rattling Dirty South beats. But while the territory may be overly familiar, Birdman pulls it off with power and authority, making his boasts surprisingly convincing. Help from first-string guests like Fat Joe, Young Jeezy, and the irrepressible Lil Wayne doesn't hurt matters, either.