Small Professor closes out his stunning ‘A Jawn Supreme’ series with Vol. 3, a collection of instrumentals that elegantly balances moments of somber, moody reflection with an overarching feeling of hope. It’s also a perfect encapsulation of where the world’s at during its release date (October 2020), and it’s all told through the lens of timeless hip-hop production.

Whereas Vol. 1 skewed somber as well and Vol. 2 was a nod to hip-hop’s Golden Era, Vol. 3 finds the Philadelphia native more comfortable in expressing both his frustration and optimism. And he delivers those feelings right from the jump with the opening track “trouble don’t last,” which he refers to as “a reminder to hang in there through the bad situations life may throw your way.”

There are hints of his hopefulness running through the seams of Vol. 3, like on the anti-misogyny head-nodder “janet jackson never lies” and low-key sultry “moan.” Small Pro also dabbles in his simmering anger on tense cuts like “INTP” and “original rap,” but again, they’re here to provide a sense of balance that is not just relevant, but relatable. They’re also some of his best work yet, but here’s the best part: Small Pro’s only just getting started.

And for the tape-heads, limited copies of all three volumes will be available on one cassette in time for Friday Nov. 06. T-shirt designs featuring the cover art of all three volumes designed by Dewey Saunders (Anderson .Paak, Future, Spike Lee) are also available now for purchase.