Michigan producer Apollo Brown has emerged as one of the more notable producers of this decade, whether it be as a solo artist, as a member of the group Ugly Heroes, or collaborating with the likes of Guilty Simpson, Boog Brown, Ras Kass, or Skyzoo. For his latest effort, he’s teamed up with Bay Area emcee Locksmith to release an EP called No Question.

Sometimes you don’t need a release to be groundbreaking or different, you just need it to be good, and that’s exactly what Apollo Brown and Locksmith have given us with No Question. Apollo Brown drops some midtempo soul-sampling beats with crisp drums and plenty of strings, and Locksmith steps up to drop a lot of introspective rhymes. No big hooks, nothing fancy, just a really solid collection of beats and rhymes. There’s a nice contrast between the pretty production that Brown is putting together, and the raspy voice of Locksmith, and that is only furthered when you get to the lyrics. Locksmith’s words are front and center on this EP, and he takes this opportunity to get raw and personal with it. He kicks off after a short intro with “Advice To My Younger Self,” in which he discusses what he wished he knew about the world when he was much younger. From there, he just continues this journey, as he gets messy and personal about his own journey of self-discovery, whether it be with romantic relationships, money, his career, or anything else that might pop into his head along the way. It’s the type of release that you’ll want to listen to one-on-one, since it often sounds like Locksmith is talking directly to you, and his lyrics will likely inspire you to do a lot of reflecting on your own life and relationships.

There’s not a lot of frills to No Question, but you don’t need them when you’ve got two veterans who can knock out some emotionally moving hip hop like Apollo Brown and Locksmith can. It’s efficient, but it’s also incredibly personal and poignant.