After dabbling in collaborations with Slum Village, J Dilla, and Canibus, Motor-City man Curtis Cross (a.k.a. Black Milk) finally drops his debut LP. Despite too-frequent nods to some tired subject matter--most notably, his own pre-eminence--Black Milk proves equally adept in front of the mic and behind the boards. Lyrically, the ambition fueling these songs sounds far from effortless, but there"s an exciting up-and-comer"s charisma that leaks out, and even a cut of would-be misogyny like "Three+Sum" exudes the appeal of the new kid on the block. Popular Demand isn"t flawless, but its drawbacks (a few yawning throwaways and skits) pale next to its numerous successes: tightly curated guest vocalists, an elastic battery of instrumental arrangements and tempos, and the most shockingly creative piano sample to come out of the Midwest in years ("Play the Keys"). Striving producer/emcees take note: the man"s got shuffle in his soul, and if he keeps this up, learns to use more than one bass drum per track, and finds something more interesting to talk about, the rest of you can all "take the easy way out and make some club rekkids." --Jason Kirk