Rapsody Releases Her New “Crown” EP. Listen Here (Audio)

Just one day after dropping an ambitious double-header with the release of not one, but two singles, Rapsody’s Crown EP has arrived. Yesterday (November 15), the Jamla rapper shared two jewels with Heads, first the Ambrosia for Heads-premiered “Mad” and then the Ab-Soul-assisted “2AM.” But today (November 16), fans no longer have to wait for the royal treatment, as her first project since 2014’s Beauty and the Beast is finally here.

Talib Kweli, 9th Wonder & Rapsody Remind Us the Best Is Yet to Come (Video)

With the awe-inspiring support of Roc Nation behind it, Crown is a ten-course affair which also features a king of Contemporary Soul, Raphael Saadiq, and the genre’s reigning prince, Anderson .Paak (with whom she worked on hisĀ Malibu cut “Without You”). Sporting production from Jamla founder 9th Wonder as well as Nottz, Khrysis, Eric G, and Kash, Rapsody’s new EP is equal parts impassioned and cool, with the North Carolina queen of the mic exuding both confidence and vulnerability. The opening title track is a trumpeting dose of spoken-word poetry with Gospel elements – and that’s just the first half. The project features nods to womanhood, with compassion for life and loss enveloping much of the track list. But it’s also outspoken and brash in parts, as Rapsody continues to prove herself to be one of the best in the game – without having dropped a full-length effort since 2012’s The Idea of Beautiful. The Grammy-winning MC touches on love of all kinds on Crown, including romantic. But perhaps more importantly, she has penned a love letter to her people, whose oppressive pain is detailed beautifully on the EP’s closing track, “Fire.”

In addition to the new EP, Rapsody has also dropped a video for the title track, a visual homage to children of color. Featuring images of carefree children and celebratory graduates, it’s a welcomed series of images in an era when so many artists are using music videos to reflect (justifiably and necessarily) the great pain and violence in this country.

Congratulations to Rapsody on a project that is truly fit for a queen.