Shawn Smith Hope Dealer EP

Shawn Smith, a Philly rapper signed by Roc Nation, releases his new EP Hope Dealer, an eight-track collection on which he displays his lyrical skill and wit.

On the Don Cannon-assisted opener, Smith employs a relentless flow and gets clever by rapping, “It’s snow on point, like passing George Lynch the ball/ It’s 2022, they still ain’t pass no lynching law/ So how am I an opp when I lent you sauce.”

Hope Dealer finds the rhymer demonstrating his versatility with the smoothed-out single “History,” featuring Rayven Tyler, and the string-laden groove “On Me,” featuring Taylor Green. These songs are more than just bar-driven cuts.

Ant Clemons appears in “Pain Away,” and Smith closes out Hope Dealer with “Black Don’t Crack,” an intense finale track in which the up-and-coming artist expresses survivor’s remorse amid a defiant air of perseverance.