Following up an album as personal and cathartic as 2024’s Please Don’t Cry would be a formidable task for just about any hip-hop artist. Of course, Rapsody operates on a whole different level of rap excellence than the majority of MCs, a lyrical force to behold since at least her Return of the B-Girl days. So, for the brilliantly titled God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops, the North Carolina native gives her fans something uniquely hers, a lyrical journey that exudes Black excellence as it traverses matters earthly and otherwise. Whether expounding upon issues of importance on the sweeping “Black Love” or dwelling on romantic misfortunes past on the sonically warped “Never Break,” her pen stays inked-up and razor-sharp. She turns away from shyness and toward sweetness on the hopeful “Apple Juice,” a clear highlight that demands repeat listens. In support, Soweto-based choir KARABO YA MORENA add touches of flair to “No Way” and the eras-hopping “God Gotta Afro,” while P-Funk pioneer George Clinton astral-projects his atomic blessings upon the cosmic chillout of “OMG! (Love to Sun Ra).”