It's been a while since we've heard such an intelligently smooth bit of modern hip-hop. Rapper Big Pooh and producer extraordinaire Apollo Brown have linked for the thumping new cut "Augmentation," an early single off of Pooh's upcoming (and aptly-titled) Words Paint Pictures LP.

"Augmentation" packs one of the classic piano-and-soul-vocals sample flips that Brown has made his calling card, and Pooh good hard in the mile-wide cut. By the time the second verse hits and the NC MC suggests his rivals hang himself, it's clear that the new single is an iron hand in a velvet glove, cold at its core despite Brown's warm vinyl veneer. It's only been two weeks since both Pooh and Brown dropped "Stop," which included a luscious feature from Steve Roxx. No assist is needed on "Augmentation," however, which includes visuals of both men doing what they do best--Brown digs through racks at a local record ship while Pooh drops bars in back alleys and unused baseball diamonds. The two come together in the video's final moments, giving us a window into what their real-life collabs must look like. In a press release, Pooh had this to say about "Augmentation":

Sometimes you have to destroy and rebuild in order to augment an idea. Augmentation is me destroying the idea that a lot of young cats have about a career in Hip Hop/Rap. We are trained to look at the exceptions and accept them as the standard. I just wanted to share some real game with up and comers, spectators, and those looking to make their mark.

Be sure to pre-order Words Paint Pictureson iTunes today and be on the lookout for more choice offerings from both P and B.