On his latest project "DAT BOY DEN" Album, Houston rap veteran Sauce Walka doubles down on his tried-and-true lean-slinging, deal-dropping brand of street rap. Across 18 tracks, he links up with Slim Thug and other H-Town icons over grimy, moody trap beats.

Production from Zaytoven, Foreign Teck, and Sauce God builds momentum with ominous melodies and off-kilter percussion evoking Walka's trademark underground sound.

Walka holds nothing back, bragging endlessly about illegal wares, past beefs, and general debauchery over aggressive flows that switch up with the circuitous instrumentals.

Features from mainstays like Lil' Keke and Lil' Flip enhance old-head nostalgia. Meanwhile, contributions from rising talents like Big Thrax keep things feeling fresh.

It's a no-frills offering delivering exactly what diehard Walka fans signed up for - unapologetic rhymes about livin' life in the smoky streets of the H along with pals. For better or worse, he stays defiantly dirty south to the core.

While not breaking new creative ground per se, "DAT BOY DEN" serves as further proof of why, over a decade in, Sauce Walka remains an underground king in his own uncut element.