Having already put his hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee on the map with his 2015 project For the Love earlier this year, MC Tim Gent has released a new project which speaks to the tenacity of artists from small towns. Rumor Has It is an EP absent of featured rappers, allowing Gent the space to showcase what makes him not only a hometown hero, but also an artist making room for himself to grow.

Spotlight: Tim Gent Aims To Put Clarksville, Tennessee On The Lyrical Rap Map

Produced entirely by Los Angeles-based RUMR, Rumor Has It is resplendently Southern sounding replete with the sort of high-hat presence that may remind Heads of the beatmaking on Big K.R.I.T. records. Similarly, Tim Gent is lyrically adept at combining catchy hooks (“I been getting money, where the fuck you been?”) with verses that, when combing through the surface, are rich in message. The EP also realizes his ability to go beyond the pale of traditional Third Coast Hip-Hop, namely the “Party People” interlude.

At just 24-minutes long, Rumor Has It nonetheless feels complete, and is a promising appetizer for what Tim Gent has in store next.