Chicago rapper Polo G’s latest project, Hall of Fame, seems aptly titled – after his single “RAPSTAR” scored a number one debut earlier in the year and stream counts continue to rise into the hundreds of millions, it feels like a project meant to fully establish himself as one of current hip-hop’s biggest stars. The album is on track to be his first ever to top the charts as well. Recruiting an impressive list of superstar guests to help welcome him into the club, Polo delivers his most versatile album yet and shows off his hit-making abilities along the way.

Most of the project is coloured by the trendy acoustic guitar and piano-based trap loops that have surged in popularity recently, but there’s something about Polo G’s beat selection that hits closer to the heartstrings than his contemporaries’ attempts at a more eerie, unnerving sound. The project opens with a gorgeous piano instrumental as he takes the first moments to dedicate a track to some of his fallen friends, showing off more sides of himself as the project goes on. Turning his voice up to another level on some more aggressive drill-inspired tracks and switching things up with some glitchy electronic instrumentals and a foray into dancehall, everything is anchored by his smooth vocals and naturally melodic half-rapped, half-sung flows.

Some of the most emotional moments, like the romantic “So Real” and references to his motivation to combat his addiction in the wake of fellow Chicago titan Juice WRLD’s passing, are easy highlights as Polo G shows off his heartfelt side. Confidently trading bars with legends like Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj, this is the sound of Polo G becoming a first-ballot hip-hop Hall of Famer.

Best track: “GANG GANG (Ft. Lil Wayne)”