Two years after the success of his debut studio album, Mr. Crawford, laid the foundations for his transition from promising newcomer to fully fledged breakout star, NoCap returns to cement his status with Before I Disappear Again, the Alabama rapper’s assured second record. Here, he leans in to the qualities that marked him out as such a compelling talent to begin with—melodic instrumentals, sharp wordplay, dexterous flows, emotional veracity—and ups his game. The production is elevated: sleeker, more complex. “Diamond Blick” ornaments an otherwise ominous beat with sweet-toned flourishes reminiscent of early-2000s R&B, while skittering drums meet ruminative piano and soulful guitar licks on “Peepholes”. Collaborations with peers like Rylo Rodriguez, another leading figure in the Alabama hip-hop scene, sit alongside cuts featuring French Montana and Quavo—unambiguous indications of NoCap’s rapid rise through the ranks. Thematically, women are a preponderance; often, the desire for success clashes with more primal needs: “And I know that it should be the money/But somehow I got you on my conscious,” he confesses on the moody ’90s-rock-influenced highlight “One More Summer”. And while NoCap’s raw honesty is still the most essential facet of his wide appeal, it’s the amalgamation of disparate musical inspirations and his versatile cadence that make Before I Disappear Again such an unpredictable and thrilling listen.