Maassai, a Brooklyn native, identifies as “hood avant-garde,” a term that permeates every piece of music she does. Her raw bars serve as a window into her experiences as she “centers ghetto narratives” over jazzy instrumentals.

That is evidenced by her debut album, With The Shifts. Each song has its own distinctive identity while retaining those roots. You can’t explain the light when it’s mine, raps a Maassai on “To Fly,” my personal favorite track from the album starring KUMBAYA, which exudes confidence. A funky bassline and clinking bottle-led beat accompany a beautiful tune that she combines with some of her best flows. This is only one of the many aspects of the Maasai that the project gives us insight into, starting with how we learn about complex societal concerns as kids in “Next Chapter” to growing into her own on “The Social Climates.”