In the closing days of 2019, a Memphis rapper named Duke Deuce blew up with a single called “Crunk Ain’t Dead,” and it ruled. Crunk is Duke Deuce’s family business — he’s the son of ’90s-vintage Memphis rapper Duke Nitty — and his track brought back Southern fight music with giddy, fun, charismatic abandon. Duke’s 2020 project Memphis Massacre 2 probably would’ve started a lot more moshpits if it hadn’t come out a few weeks before the pandemic hit, but Duke hasn’t let his momentum show. Today, he’s followed up Memphis Massacre 2 with the just-as-hard new album Duke Nukem.

Duke Nukem opens with Duke saying that he’s “on some real throwback Memphis shit,” and he’s right; that first track sounds a whole lot like peak-era 8Ball & MJG. But he’s also on some real throwback Detroit shit; that first song, “Intro: Coming Out Hard,” samples the bassline from the Stooges’ “Dirt.” That alone should be enough to recommend Duke Nukem, but the whole album works just fine on its own as rowdy, spirited, extremely Memphis rap music.

On Duke Nukem, Duke Deuce comes off as a real presence, hard but also hugely entertaining. This time around, he sings a bit, and he doesn’t embarrass himself. The whole album stays in its late-’90s/early-’00s lane, and guests like Offset, A$AP Ferg, Lil Keed, Mulatto, and Foogiano adjust to fit that sound. We’ve already posted the ridiculous single “Soldiers Steppin,” and now you can stream the album below.

Duke Nukem is out now on Quality Control.