Junclassic is an emcee from Queens who has been putting out records for a minute now, including his classic collaboration with Mr. Troy, Thinking Out Loud. After remaining relatively quiet for the last year or two, he returns now with a brand new EP, Muscle Memory.

If this title is meant to imply that getting back in the studio and rapping again would be like hopping on a bicycle, then the proof is in how Junclassic sounds so effortless on the mic. With production by J Slikk, Licks, Kid Hum, Sumo, and Jatos, the EP is full of gritty and grimy underground East Coast beats, just what Junclassic needs to hop on the mic and talk his shit. He’s got a great low voice with a little bit of a rasp to his delivery, and his flow has a nice conversational swing to it. Over the course of nine tracks, he rhymes about the stress of every day life, trying to make his way as an independent musician, talks some trash, and drops some clever punchlines. While this is all great, perhaps the best moment comes on the short skit, “Walter White Wore Wallabies.” At first, it sounds like Junclassic is just going to kick an a cappella, but it quickly becomes clear that this is some sort of freestyle where he’s trying to work out some lines, which then becomes doubly clear as a woman who has been listening starts tearing apart his nonsense rhymes, taking his grammar to task in a playful tone. It’s a great insight to what it must be like at Junclassic’s kitchen table, and a nice vulnerable moment on top of that.

If you’ve been missing Junclassic, Muscle Memory will get you right back on track. The New York emcee might have been away for a short while, but he’s back and just as good as you remember. This is a solid collection of beats and rhymes from a veteran who’s reclaiming his space.