Injoy

Atlanta rapper LAZER DIM 700 sounds like he recorded *Injoy* in the back of a ’90s electronics outlet. The bass is blown out, the synths reminiscent of plug-ins found on keyboards that were birthed closer to the origins of rap than anything this century. LAZER, who released three albums in 2023, introduces his first project of 2024 by rapping about operating like a video game character, refusing to wear luxury merch, and learning about music industry jargon like “distro deal.” In short, very few rappers sound anything like LAZER DIM. He avoids rapping on beat like his instrumentals carry the plague, and the effect is one of great ingenuity. Take opener “7ft opponent,” where he spits, “Remove my wanted level, redeem my cheat code,” making a clever allusion to the Grand Theft Auto video game series. The album then follows these themes of fast cars, heavy drug use, and prolific violence, with LAZER DIM at its center, painting a technicolor postapocalypse that just might be a helluva fun time.