A Girl Cried Red

If you’re familiar with 1992 Deluxe, which gave shouts to Emily the Strange and sleeping in cemeteries, you already know Princess Nokia isn’t your average rapper. A Girl Cried Red is a needle-scratch moment for the underground MC as she trades raw bars for raw feelings. One of the New York native's best lines—“Smash my heart in pieces/It looks so good on the floor”—becomes a recurring, jet-black motif that floats through some of the songs. “Morphine,” “For the Night,” and “Little Angel” smoothly merge hip-hop and delicate emo, touched by simple guitar and heartfelt confessionals.