Dreamin' Out Loud is a showcase of Nick Grant's prodigious lyrical gifts. The mixtape takes a more personal turn than the South Carolina rapper's 2017 debut, Return of the Cool, but retains the knock factor. Turn-up anthems “The Switch Up” and “’96 Bulls” are here, along with fresh heaters “Nicky Bomaye” with DJ Khaled and “Gucci Plug” with D.R.A.M. Then Grant adds a refreshing consciousness to the party: Church vibes elevate “Save the Trilldren,” and “Father Figure” and “Black Woman” are important narratives about the black family—born of frustration, pain, and love, and told with emotional weight.