One of my favorite experiences of listening to a new record is that rare moment when you put an album for the very first time, and you immediately feel like you’ve known that record for years. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s special. That’s how I felt the first time I listened to Rappers Will Die Of Natural Causes.

Open Mike Eagle has a few releases under his belt and is part of the newest generation of Project Blowed emcees. With RWDONC, we get the full realization of what Eagle has been working toward the past few years. It’s smart, heartfelt, humorous, and it doesn’t sound like any other record that I’ve listened to this year. Eagle has a very clear and melodic delivery, almost crooning his lyrics, and while all sorts of interesting music is happening behind him, his voice is always at the forefront of each song. Which is fantastic, because Eagle has plenty to say, from humorous asides to deep thoughts about race relations, the music industry, health care, economics, nerds, and a myriad of other topics. His lyrics are so cleverly crafted, each time I listen to RWDONC I have a new favorite line. “NH2 (Grins and Lies)” creates a brilliant contrast between musical tone and the lyrics, which takes a nuanced look at the complex state of race relations in America, especially in regards to his personal experiences as an independent hip hop artist, all while floating over music that’s bright, happy, and has an irresistible bounce. This song is followed by the title track, which takes a long look at what it means to grow old within hip hop, and what it means to the genre that it is no longer a new thing. The song resonates louder than ever given the recent health issues of hip hop innovator Kool Herc and pioneering underground deejay Mr. Dibbs, both of whom have run up huge medical bills with no health insurance. Lest you think this album is one big downer, rest assured that Eagle finds a great balance of mixing in humor, dropping lines like “Close to yelling ‘Pop pop!” like Magnitude,” or talking about his taco truck order (heavy sour cream, no cilantro).

The production on the album is spread amongst E. Super, Willie Green, Loden, Alpha MC, Taco Neck, Awkward, The Kone, Dak, B-Bop, and Egon Brainparts. This might sound like a lot of chefs in the kitchen, but everything flows together extremely well, and fits with Open Mike Eagle’s vocal style perfectly. From the re-appropriated doo-wop of “Nightmares,” to the intense combination of tablas and horn hits on the title track, to the disjointed drum hits and video game sounds on “Rent Party Revolution,” to the Broken Social Scene-esque sounds of the closing track, “Old Member Reclamation,” we get a coherent musical journey that helps bring out the best of Eagle.

There are a few types of great albums. Some immediately push you out of your comfort zone, while others work to combine genres in interesting ways. Then there are those that sneak up on you, sounding nonchalant at first, only to reveal their greatness later. Rappers Will Die Of Natural Causes is this type of album. With the first listen, it’s certainly enjoyable it and you’ll want to listen to it again. It’s really with each subsequent listen, though, that you will begin to realize how much Open Mike Eagle has put into this record. This might be the most quietly brilliant album of the year.