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Massachusetts rap duo, Blak Madeen chases 2016’s incredibly potent Supreme Aftermath LP with a brand new EP that brilliantly balances their hopes and frustrations with some help from underground legends, such as Edo. G, Divine Styler, and Grand Daddy I.U.

Across the seven tracks of One Second to Pray, proud Muslim rappers Al-J and Yusuf Abdul-Mateen dream of better days for their people while venting on the ongoing treatment that has left so many of them in pain. It’s this multifaceted approach that keeps the music and lyricism fresh; it’s something you can nod along to if you like, but you can also sit with it and come away with potentially life-changing insights.

That pragmatic, yet positive, outlook is what keeps One Second to Pray so endearing even in its harder moments, such as on the two Arcitype-produced tracks “On the Edge” and “The Sum Up.” The latter may have a darker Boom bap feel to it, but it’s all delivered through a hopeful lens. “Praying for the better, me and my alliance,” Yusuf raps, while on  the hook, Al-J notes their refusal to dumb down their lyrics.

Their refusal to make “easier” music is important not just for Blak Madeen, but for their listeners, too. Everyone benefits when they push themselves to find knowledge and, ultimately, the truth. “A wise man once said ‘feel your pulse, and once you feel your pulse, stay on it,'” Al-J says of his group’s placement in the hip-hop world. “I never looked back. In the case of Blak Madeen, it was written before we were even a thought.”

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