“Everything that I’ve done up to this point had a certain darker tone,” Scarborough-hailing MC Portion told Apple Music when he released his I Am Nothing Without EP in 2021. “At times, it was hard for even me or my friends to listen to. But as the years progressed, I started to tap into other sounds—I wanted to make celebration music.” And celebrate he did, Portion using his debut project to audit his wins (“DREAMS MONEYY CAN BUY”), assess the way success might have changed his persona (“WAVE”), and express gratitude that he’s not living the way he once had to (“HELLA CLEAN”). The deluxe version of I Am Nothing Without—co-branded Trench Baby—features five new tracks, with a similarly reflective tone. Here, Portion is rapping about the associates he’s had to go forward without (“EASTSIDE”), his battle with survivor’s remorse (“BLOOD ON THE MONEYY”), and some of the darker places his mind wanders when he’s alone (“SOLO / TRENCH LUV”), all of which reveals a clear understanding of one of the hip-hop game’s most endearing principles: There is no success without sacrifice.