In 2015 and 2016, it was impossible to track down Rich Homie Quan. The Atlanta rapper, born Dequantes Devontay Lamar in 1989, had seemingly disappeared from the music scene. This was a shocking development considering the tantalising potential Quan had just displayed with his running mate, Young Thug, on 2014’s Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1. The two seemed destined to take over the Atlanta rap scene with their melody-heavy approach, but only Thug would go on to carry the mantle while Quan simply vanished from sight. It was later revealed―upon Quan’s re-emergence in 2017―that the rapper had dealt with legal and health issues. “I just missed telling my stories,” he told Apple Music about his desire to pick up where he left off. “I just missed perfecting my craft.” In rap, styles come and go at what seems like warp speed, but Quan was more than ready to adapt to the times. 2017’s Back to the Basics is a staggeringly assured reintroduction. Over the militaristic triplet hi-hats and booming bass of “Never Made It”, Quan immediately established his defiant spirit: “Yeah, they said I wouldn’t be shit/They thought that shit was over with.” Quan’s initial run established him as a generational mainstay in Atlanta’s hip-hop hierarchy, but with his return, he didn’t want to leave anything up to chance. “I’ve been through so much,” he explained to Apple Music. “I’m just glad people can finally hear me again.” Lamar passed away in September 2024 at age 34.