NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
Summer is a great time for so many reasons, one of which is the music that drops and provides us our soundtrack for the season. Rapsody is no rookie to the hip-hop game and she steps into the 2024 summer with a new album called “Please Don’t Cry”. If you are like me and a huge fan of the lyrical aspect of hip-hop few can argue that she doesn’t have bars. While some female emcee’s choose to provide club bangers and sex talk she is a throwback to the boom-bap era and paints pictures with words like the OG’s do. People forget this young lady was nominated for a Grammy with her SECOND album and has 3 total nominations and counting so far. So for her 4th project we really get to know more about her as a person as well as an artist.
When asked about the meaning behind the title she said in a recent Billboard artcile.”It’s just about allowing yourself to really be imperfect and embracing the human that you are,”. This is without questions her most personal project and I ain’t mad about it at all. She takes us on a journey of self discovery as well, as healing from past trauma and issues many of us have faced or still are.
A bad breakup along with COVID-19 laid the foundation for the 22 track project with has features from Lil Wayne,Erykah Badu and solid production. Like most of us she spoke in album press runs how she has always been afraid to fully share her self competely with fans out of fear. If that doesn’t sound familiar! Even with this type of album her lyrics still shine bright and continue to set the bar for emcees in the game.
My favorite tracks have changed since I began writing the review but presently they are:Asteroids, Stand Tall and Raw, along with Back in My Bag. On Raw she drops one of my favorite lines
“Got a mouth full of gold—Beyoncé Carter-Knowles
They can’t broke my soul; a million, I haven’t sold
The truth won’t be sold—I still be like, “So?”
I rap in strike-through, I still laugh in bold
I say what they scared to say, the rawest rappin’ you know”
It is a nice balance of thought provoking songs, boom bap, and looking within. It works and showcases just how talented the young lady from North Carolina really is. It takes a certain type of artist to put themselves out there for all to hear and see. This album provides summer bangers you can chill to and also songs that will make you call that friend/family member you haven’t been seeing eye to eye with lately snd squash the beef. In a world where we all spend HOURS scrolling on apps, or in the gym trying to live up to expectations created by others this is a refreshing alternative. Give the album a listen and I know you will find a song or two that either hit you right in the feels, or have you bobbing your head in the car. Pour yourself something and hit play.
