The run from "Playa" through "No Trespassing" to "Stop Snitching," featuring a standout Sauce Walka verse, is some of the album’s best material. Even when the subject matter is more mature—"Playa" is about being a family man—the music mostly feels like it could have come from a 2011 time capsule.

The artist reflects on how the chaotic eight years since his last release — including three kids and two trials — led to his latest album, “Don’t Be Dumb.”