I first came across local hip-hop act DoethePaperboy when he collaborated with Against Grace on the group’s single “Monday.” Since then, Doe has performed often with the band during live shows (and at this point I’m going to just call him a member of AG since he plays with them so often) as well as working on his solo material. His debut album “DoeNation” caught my attention a while back and the catchy songs on it definitely made it a highlight of the local hip hop scene.

Now, Doe is back with “DoeNation 2,” an excellent collection of songs about his life and experiences. The fact the he is honest and sincere in his music is no surprise, but “DoeNation 2″ takes it to a whole new level. DoeThePaperboy is not the same artist he was a few years back. He’s grown up and has more things to draw from. He bares his soul for his listeners. His music has real substance behind and that’s always a nice thing to see in an age where rappers just sing about women and how much money they have. Doe keeps it real, which only wants me to listen more.

Check out the video for the first single, “Bout My Trap.”