Joyner Lucas has been cultivating his career since 2007, but the Massachusetts MC born Gary Maurice Lucas Jr. didn’t release his debut album until 2020. Way back when, Lucas began rapping under aliases like G-Storm and Future Joyner, though he ditched the Future from his moniker once the Atlanta rapper began percolating, replacing it with his own childhood nickname. In 2015, Lucas released Along Came Joyner, which included his first hit, “Ross Capicchioni”. The song displayed the style Lucas still consistently deploys, blending dexterous rap flows with incisive political commentary and an edginess that recalls Odd Future and Eminem. Lucas has accumulated a devoted, passionate fanbase off the strength of this relatability. “I made it pretty far in my career and became pretty successful without putting an album out,” he told Apple Music with a laugh. That included a now-severed record deal with Atlantic Records, a feature on Eminem’s “Lucky You”, and a Grammy nomination for his provocative viral smash “I’m Not Racist”—all before 2020’s self-released ADHD. Despite his steady rise as one of rap’s most unique stylists, Lucas is striving for more. “I’m still looking to be one of the most consistent artists, period,” he added to Apple Music. “I’m always working towards that.”