Misunderstood

JayDaYoungan is a rising Louisiana rapper who came into his own in short order with 2018’s *Forever 23* and its humid highlight “Thot Thot.” His style of nonchalant sing-rapping and trap balladry, which made that project so engaging, continues from the jump on *Misunderstood*. On “Body Bags,” he wastes no time with spitting game and counting blessings over a somber beat punctuated by booming 808s and draped in warm pads, a motif that recurs throughout these 19 tracks. From the cautious antagonism of “Preach” to the personal reveals of “23 Island,” he delivers double-tracked bars full of existential woes and righteous paranoia.