Mike Skinner of The Streets is one of the only relevant hip-hop artists making music today. Some call him the king of hip-hop, but to most he’s more like a court jester.

The London-born rapper is a member of a dying creed. He is one of the only true hip-hop visionaries left. Unconventional rhymes and dismembered beats featuring horns, pianos and synthesizers replace the harried and clichǸ rhythms popular on today’s top 40.

But that’s not the only reason people listen to The Streets. Skinner is a true poet and storyteller, his muse being life the “”hard streets”” of London. He raps about everything from drugs, girls and fights to depression. The only problem is that with three albums and a new worldwide fan base, Skinner can no longer call himself just an ordinary “”geezer.””

The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living is the first album showing acceptance of Skinner’s new celebrity status. Instead of rapping about not having enough money to pay your dealer, he focuses on the pitfalls of being famous.

On “”When You Wasn’t Famous,”” Skinner complains about dating other celebrities. “”When you’re a famous boy/it gets really easy to get girls/It’s oh so easy you get a bit spoilt/But when you try to pull a girl who is oh so famous too/it feels just like when you wasn’t famous,”” he sings over a drum machine and twinkling keyboard notes.

It may be a clichǸ topic and more than a little frustrating for normal people who can’t get girls anyway, but Skinner can make anything sound original and interesting. Where his lyrics sometimes come off as goofy and arrogant, his groundbreaking rhythms take over.

While the album may not seem as strong as his previous efforts, it’s a testament to where hip-hop can and should go in the future.