Lyrics Borns second album of 2022 is much shorter than Mobile Homies: Season 1, a collaboration-rich set drawn from his Instagram Live chat series and podcast, yet its undeniably focused. The nine-song, half-hour set contains the sort of feel-good hip-hop hes been doing for much of his solo career, heavy on live instrumentation and grooves inspired by D.C. go-go, New Orleans funk, and neo-soul. The rapper flexes his advanced technical abilities on this release, resulting in some of his most experimental flows since his mind-bending early work as part of the duo Latyrx. "Diamond Door" features a spirited chorus by New Orleans-based soul singer Princess Shaw, eponymous star of a thought-provoking documentary chronicling her viral YouTube success. He salutes his own biggest fan on multiple songs, particularly "Im the Best Rapper in the World," which features some exceptionally tricky rhyme schemes. "My Favorite Ghost (Phantom Pains)" is the albums biggest mood shift, as LB laments the end of a long-term relationship and the departure of his best friend. In this context, much of the album feels like a self-therapy session, particularly "Whos the Best? (Dear Young LB)," a pep talk in which the emcee reminds himself that hes unique and capable of doing anything. He acknowledges his self-care and weight loss regimen on the boisterous "Go Ape Shit," and continues beating his own drum on the albums final song, "Greatness On Repeat (Go Me!)," in which he brags, "They said I couldnt do it, I did it in my sleep." Lyrics Born is brimming with self-confidence and determination, and his sheer playfulness and showmanship is leagues away from most contemporary hip-hop. ~ Paul Simpson

Rovi