(Project Review) The Art of Rap, the Weight of Experience: Rakim Returns With FM 4840

I’ve been sitting with Rakim Al-Jabbaar’s new album FM 4840: Loyal to the Soil for about a week now, and I can confidently say this is his most personal—and best—project to date. For me, it’s neck and neck with Ill Dallas as my favorite from him. There’s a weight and a clarity to this one that feels intentional, rooted in lived experience, and unafraid to expose emotional layers while still cutting through with pure hip-hop muscle.

From the moment I pressed play, I could hear the stakes. You can feel the lived experience in every verse—like each one carries a chapter of something real he’s survived or witnessed. These aren’t just records built for rap nerds or playlists—though to be clear, Apple Music and Amazon Music have already shown love on that front—these are records crafted for the people who’ve really been paying attention to Rakim’s journey. Listeners who understand that for artists like him, the studio is a battleground and a sanctuary.

This album doesn’t follow the usual formula. There’s no club single, no forced radio moment, and Rakim has never conformed to needing one. Instead, you get a high-quality, mixtape-like experience: raw, honest, and expertly executed. It’s packed with gritty boom bap beats, with just enough modern energy to keep it current without ever sounding compromised. The bars sit front and center, exactly where they belong.

One of the biggest highlights for me was hearing Dallas daily radio host DeDe in the Morning on the project. The skits she delivered were fire and genuinely funny. They didn’t just break up the music in a clever way—they actually complimented the project as a whole and made the album feel fuller and more dynamic. It’s those kinds of details that show how much thought went into crafting this experience.

As always, Rakim keeps lyrics and storytelling above everything else. And here’s what makes that even crazier: most, if not all, of his verses are done without writing anything down. He’s a true freestyle artist. But unlike most punch-in rappers who string together random rhymes, Rakim is actually punching in moments that move the story forward. The man is telling stories in real time, building verses that have depth, perspective, and structure—and you can feel that difference immediately.

One of the most powerful records on the album is "Solstice." On the first verse, Rakim channels his father the night he passed away. On the second verse, he shifts into the emotions and memories of that experience from his and his mom’s perspective. It’s haunting, it’s beautiful, and it stays with you. That kind of vulnerability is rare, and it’s exactly why this project stands out.

There are records on here about relationships, family, and what it means to be a Black man in America. This project doesn't just tell you the story of Rakim the rapper—it's a deep look into Rakim the man. It’s thoughtful and layered, with sharp references to real-world issues like the war in Haiti, the U.S. government's role in drug trafficking, and his connection to the Ifá religion. There’s intellect woven into every verse.

But what they all have in common is authenticity. Rakim isn’t chasing trends. He’s preserving a craft. He’s letting you into his world without filters, and that’s why this project is going to matter for a long time.

This was hands down our favorite storytelling rap project of 2025 alongside The Good, The Bad, The Dollar Menu by Ray Vaughn. And while I didn’t speak to Rakim or his team before writing this, the music told me everything I needed to know.

This isn’t just an album. It’s an offering. A personal and political document of where Rakim Al-Jabbaar is right now. And I’m glad I got to experience it in real time.