Hailing from Young Chicago Authors, the organization that introduced us to Chance The Rapper, Jamila Woods, and Noname, South-Sider Matt Muse is a master of urban hip-hop and contemporary soul. Muse came out of the gate strong with last year’s Nappy Talk, an EP that championed the lyricist’s views on Black masculine self-love and showcased his laidback-but-hard-hitting style.

Earlier this month Matt Muse continued the Nappy saga with his sophomore album, Love & Nappyness, and flipped the script on what you’d expect from a collection of love songs through a previously unheard sense of vulnerability. Running at just twenty minutes, there’s no real excuse to overlook Love & Nappyness, especially with regards to the quality of Muse’s community collaborators. Case in point, the EP’s centerpiece featuring rapper Joseph Chilliams and singer Mon’Aerie, “Myself [Philautia II]”!

–Jack Anderson