Superproducer Happy Perez rounded up the Lone Star Ridaz for another album in late 2001, 40 Dayz/40 Nightz. Released a few months later in early 2002, the album found Perez furthering his already polished production style -- making it even more trademark, more Texas; in other words, putting it on the same artistic level as Timbaland and Dr. Dre, though obviously not nearly as commercially successful. Featured MCs on the album include Grimm, Max Minelli, Merciless, Low G, Baby Beesh, Javi Picasso, Rasheed, South Park Mexican (SPM), Russ Lee, and a special appearance by Fat Joe. Most of the songs on the album will feature two or three of the MCs, along with the occasional vocalist on the hook. In addition, there are two posse songs, both album highlights: "City of Houston" and "Count Your Blessingz" -- the former featuring an interpolation of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge" for its hook; the latter a ballad that acknowledges the tragic mood in post-September 11, 2001, America. Another album highlight is "South Park/South Bronx," which teams up SPM and Fat Joe, quite an unlikely pairing that's a pleasant surprise, particularly when you consider the two artists' Latin American roots. Then there's the "Screwed" version of "City of Houston" that closes the album. More than any one song, however, it's Perez's production that makes this such an amazing album, arguably one of the best albums to ever come out of Houston's Mexian-American rap scene -- and surely evidence that Houston had become one of America's rap meccas by the early 2000s, alongside New York, Los Angeles, and the Cali Bay Area. ~ Jason Birchmeier