Rapsody is one of the most talented rappers in the game. Her music represents the sort of quality and reflectiveness that typified the backpack genre. She feels cut from the same cloth as Phonte, Mos Def, and her mentor, 9th Wonder. Rapsody broke through with her 2017 album, Laila’s Wisdom, but she’s been notably absent throughout the 2020s. Please Don’t Cry is her first new album in five years, and we’re happy to confirm that she hasn’t missed a step. If anything, she’s gotten better.
If Rapsody’s previous release, Eve, was about tributing her heroes, than Please Don’t Cry is about looking inward. She described the album on Instagram as a “love story with the reflection in the mirror,” an appreciation of all things “raw” and “imperfect.” The lyrical content of the album’s best songs bear this out. “3 A.M.” is a jazzy meditation on connecting with a loved one, and the Erykah Badu vocals on the hook embellish its smooth qualities. “Stand Tall” and “Lonely Women” are similar mid-tempo tracks that see Rapsody talk about the way people perceive and judge her. The latter, in particular, addresses the way people assume her sexuality based on her appearance.
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Please Don’t Cry isn’t a one-dimensional listen, however. There are plenty of hard-hitting instrumentals that liven things up and prove that Rapsody can outmaneuver most of her male peers. “Black Popstar” and “Asteroids” are prime examples of this gear shift. The latter features a chugging Hit-Boy beat that ranks among the best instrumental flourishes on the album. “Raw” is another gritty showcase that sees Rapsody trade bars with Lil Wayne. Please Don’t Cry does run a bit long, at 22 tracks, but the rapper has been gone for a long time, and she had a lot to say. Listeners will be rewarded.
What are your thoughts on this brand-new album Please Don’t Cry by Rapsody? Does the rapper deliver after five years away? What is your favorite song and why? Did any features steal the show? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Rapsody. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the music world.
Please Don’t Cry Tracklist:
- She’s Expecting You (featuring Phylicia Rashad)
- Marlanna
- Asteroids (featuring Hit-Boy)
- Look What You’ve Done
- DND (It’s Personal) [featuring Bee-B]
- Black Popstar (featuring DIXSON)
- Stand Tall
- That One Time
- 3 AM (featuring Erykah Badu)
- Loose Rocks (featuring Alex Isley)
- Diary of a Mad B*tch (featuring Bibi Bourelly)
- Never Enough (featuring Keznamdi)
- He Shot Me
- God’s Light
- Back In My Bag
- Niko’s Interlude (featuring Niko Brim)
- Raw (featuring Lil Wayne)
- Lonely Women
- A Ballad for Homegirls (featuring Baby Tate)
- Please Don’t Cry (Interlude)
- Faith
- Forget Me Not (featuring Amber Navran & Phylicia Rashad)
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