Poor

In this oversaturated rap market full of self-conscious and boring emcees, Poor’s brutally honest approach is a breath of fresh air. And so is Mic Jordan, whose imaginative production takes interesting turns—from rock to straight-up hip-hop. “Sex Sells” flaunts Poor’s obvious love of language, while Jordan hops on the mic to round out a beautifully obscene track. The disc’s highlight, though, is “Dark Blue,” produced by Jeremy Pearson, who loops breathtaking jazz piano over a lazy drum track to mesmerize the listener into a near-trancelike state. Poor uses the beat wisely, not merely as a backdrop but as a tool for his voice to craft structurally sound compositions with—ingeniously, Poor rhymes underneath, over and through this texture-heavy track. Stay on the lookout for this rich emcee.