The defiant new mixtape from local MC Big Body, a.k.a. Ben Edwards, sounds far fresher than might be fair to expect. Instead of fading away from the local scene he once threatened to rule over after a recent stint in prison, Body came back with a vengeance, churning out track after track of high-octane hip hop, characterized by the rapper's alternately slow-mo/rapid-fire flow.

His best post-incarceration collection yet bears the confident marks of a man reinvigorated, but it doesn't all impress. This new tape rejects stylistic consistency in favor of exploration, and tracks like "Really Getting Money," with their metallic Shawty Redd synths and a Project Pat-channeling vocal delivery from Body, feel uninspired. 

But there are plenty of show-stopping moments. Producers Band Boy Macho and This Bruce Shawdy display their Southern rap prowess with the bass-heavy country-rap of tunes like "Rims and Tires" and "Do Today," both of which also showcase Body at his best, all off-the-wall energy and deliriously crude lyricism. Shawdy is responsible for the album's most exciting production; "Watching You" is a funk-heavy banger wherein swirling organ and electric guitar samples give the track a decidedly psychedelic air.

Thankfully, unlike a lot of mixtapes, Body's new one favors brevity over the exhausting alternative. The end result is a surprisingly solid outing, a set of songs that's enough to make one wonder whether this local rapper could be on the verge of re-capturing a long-lost buzz. 3 out of 5.

Big Body plays Omega Bar on Friday, June 7.