‘’In spite of systemic challenges, there is some glory in Nappy Roots’ humble lot—at least, as they depict it. Anthems like ‘’Country Boyz,” the down and dirty ‘’Slums,” and ‘’Kentucky Mud” show a kind of refreshing solidarity with people who might not have ever heard themselves in hip-hop before. That was the Nappy movement, as its creators saw it: finding the joy and beauty, where one could, in an unfair system instead of trying to cover it up. Taking qualities and status perceived as undesirable—”nappiness,” rural living, being part of the working poor—and finding within them a sense of community and appeal without masking all the things that make them so awful.

As a new recession hit and the U.S. slid into yet another war, ‘’Po’ Folks” reached #21 on the Hot 100; their message of humble resilience rang out everywhere. A new dimension of hip-hop had cut into the mainstream, one that was neither preachy nor apocalyptic but simply made in solidarity. As Deville put it, by way of explaining the album’s title, it’s ‘’the refreshment, the soul food—the shit that’s going to stick to you.””