As a presence in Chicago's underground hip-hop scene, Robust has been rocking rhymes and putting in work on wax since 2004's "Yesterday's Fossil."

His latest, "Grown," is Chi-town label Galapagos4's first digital-only release, and it's a fine choice to start.

Reminiscent of the heyday of mid-'90s hip-hop, "Grown" is dominated by simple, head-nodding drums, effective loops and some vicious scratching courtesy of German DJ Bizkid.

"Cold Dream" is emblematic of the album's feel, with old-school vibes set against a pounding beat, as Robust sets a wintery Chicago scene. Other hot tracks include the 8-bit-inspired "Bring It Back," the horn-heavy "Bring It Back" and the lazy guitar of "Get My Rhyme On."

One might argue that "Grown" occasionally suffers from being overly simple at times, but that would be nitpicking. Who needs Auto-Tune when Chicago producer Max, the album's main producer, is crafting one uncomplicated banger after another? It's better to just toss it on in the car and bounce.

Hear samples from "Grown" at Galapagos4's Web site.

Sussex Countian