The last time we heard from Toronto emcee and Backburner member Wordburglar, it was back in 2015 when he dropped his last solo album, Rapplicable Skills. Now, with a new album on the horizon for 2018, he’s released this three-song EP, If It Rhymes It’s Real.

If you’re already familiar with Wordburglar, this EP delivers exactly what you’ve come to expect from him. With beats from Beatmason and scratches from More or Les and Uncle Fester, we get three energetic tracks that deliver on some classic East Coast boom bap. This is right in Wordburglar’s wheelhouse, and he uses these beats to do what he does best, which is dropping rhyme after rhyme of nerdy shit-talking and clever punchlines. That’s not all there is to Wordburglar, and there are some moments here and there where Wordburglar drops some more personal lines, especially on “So It Flows,” but there’s not a lot of room on a release like this to go beyond the punchlines. I’m not really concerned, though, because I know he’s capable of switching things up and there will be a lot more room on the upcoming album to round out his sound. Right now, it’s just time to turn up the volume, get that head bobbing, and enjoy some fun, nerdy hip hop.

If It Rhymes It’s Real is a teaser release, and on that note it works quite well. With three solid songs with funky beats and Wordburglar’s charisma and sense of humor, I’m just getting started when it’s all over. Fortunately, I know a lot more is coming just around the corner.