“Everything I do from now on is gonna be major” raps Noo towards the end of a reflective track titled “Nike Box” on this February 2017 EP. It’s a fitting sentiment on a record called Everything Before Was Practice, a seven-song EP you’ll find on Bandcamp. (Today, by contrast, he releases High Points, another EP, but this time on “major” platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.) Hailing from Tacoma, Noo is a self-contained one-man spitter and producer. EPs like this one demonstrate his talents as a gifted, captivating storyteller. He renders autobiographical, a stream of consciousness tales that bounce around on and off the beat, only rhyming half the time, and sometimes landing in perfect little gaps. It’s a sound that comes across as sort-of effortless but is undoubtedly a result of intense practice. Fav track “Mean Kid” shows off both his production chops and mastery with the rhymes. “Black Girl Magic” is built around an unexpected Akira sample. “Pre Game” accurately depicts his ambitions: “I’m trying to parlay these rhymes to high risers.”

It’s time to shine serious praise toward Hoodie Season, a ten-song record from Tacoma rapper Noo. This album has an effortless sound that comes from intense hard work—hours in the studio getting every note right—but comes across with the ease of a freestyle storyteller. Opening with the addictive “No Chorus,” you’re led through a set of nuanced and catchy meandering stories punctuated by abstract loops. Example: The hella great, deceivingly simple, beats on “Reckless.” If I had to provide a reference point, Hoodie Season is the unlikely blend of Porter Ray and Sam Lachow. This is my current favorite record. Noo’s output is prolific, however, so maybe there’s a new favorite on the bubble. Lately, he’s been releasing a new song every week. Great illustrative paste-up cover art.