A couple of months ago, Polo G’s single “Rapstar” debuted at #1, a clear sign that the young Chicago rapper had ascended to dominant status. This was unexpected. On his first two albums, 2019’s Die A Legend and 2020’s The GOAT, Polo displayed a deep, heavy-hearted sense of gravitas. Polo could sound hard, and he could rap alongside other stars, but he made the most sense when he was doing his own form of solitary blues. It can’t be easy to keep making music like that when you’re a part of rap’s A-list. But at least on first listen, Polo has figured out a way to walk that line with his third album Hall Of Fame. He’s figured it out.

On Hall Of Fame, Polo does all the things that a big rap star should be expected to do. He makes love songs. He makes party songs. He makes fuck-you-up song. He teams up with a ton of his peers: Young Thug, DaBaby, Rod Wave, Nicki Minaj, Roddy Ricch, the late Pop Smoke. But even amidst all that, Polo G keeps the bittersweet warmth that made his music so powerful in the first place.

Hall Of Fame is an album full of downbeat melodies and big feelings. Time will tell how the record holds up, but it’s sounding pretty great this morning. Hall Of Game features “Rapstar,” of course, as well as early singles like “Epidemic,” “GNF (OKOKOK),” and the Lil Wayne collab “Gang Gang.” Those songs don’t seem like they’d all hang together in album form, but they do. Stream the full LP below.

Hall Of Fame is out now on Columbia.