Chicago-based MC Smino did a lot of singing on his 2017 debut album, Blkswn, but on his imminent sophomore album, Noir, he seems much more interested in reminding his fans that he can rap. Keeping with tradition, Smino has used this album of smooth beats and swift bars to uplift other artists in his circle. It includes features from Dreezy, Valee, Ravyn Lenae, Bari, and Jay2—the last three are all members of the Zero Fatigue collective Smino cofounded, which is based in Chicago and his old hometown of Saint Louis.
Noir doesn’t differ from Blkswn only by spotlighting Smino’s rapping—it also presents him in a lighter, happier way. “Play this in your PA. Play this with the bass in your car. Play this loud,” says Smino in the record’s press release. “This album is a lot more ass shaking.”
