Plies' New Album, Da Realist, in Stores Today

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For those that don't already know, Plies' highly anticipated second album of the year, Da Realist,

is available in stores today. It's not common for artists, especially

rappers, to release multiple albums in one year, but Plies, who was

born and raised in Fort Myers, seems determined to prove something to

the hip-hop general public.

When his first album of 2008, Definition of Real,

came out in June, its first week sales topped 250,000 units. That

surpassed everyone's expectations -- and that was when gas was at $4.00

a gallon. Who knows what, Da Realist, will do sales-wise, but folks seem to love Plies and all of his goonish ways so I'd be shocked if it flops.

I spent some time with Plies in his studio in Tampa as he was wrapping up the album and I remember him playing me a song called, "Family Straight," a cathartic track that delves into his own family dis-function in a way that a lot of people who grow up in urban areas can relate to. I know there's a backlash against Plies in other parts of the country--hell I didn't like him myself at first--but his music speaks to a certain demographic and they love him for it.

A big part of the reason his audience is so strong is because of Plies' ability to open up on songs like this.

--Jonathan Cunningham