Rhyme Progression

“Fuck your money/Fuck your paycheck/I made negative dollars and still managed to stay fresh,” spits Rhyme Progression over a dusty-soul loop that pulses beneath this EP’s second tune, “Gat Damn Right.” While the MC brags at times, the album is far from a litany of machismo. More often, Rhyme Pro’s eschewing fame or being self-deprecating, but he’s at his best when the emotional honesty comes through — on songs like “Safe Inside Me,” in which he unravels a personal tale of redemption through music — or when ripping incisively, as he does on “Just Another Day.” Influenced by Slug’s vocal inflections and content choices, as well as a dash of Big Daddy Kane by way of Aesop Rock, Rhyme Pro has a flow that’s tempered by the output of underground-label mainstays like Rhymesayers and Def Jux, with a nod to Golden Era traditions. Equally impressive, he handles beat duty on several tracks, alongside great production from locals like Maulskull and Blacksheep.