By his early 20s, Kurious was already in-demand on the mic. His 1994 major label debut, A Constipated Monkey, is a classic marked by heavy beats and razor-sharp rhymes that are frequently hilarious. Despite being hailed as one of hip-hop’s most compelling lyricists, he didn’t release another solo LP for the rest of that decade, but remained sought after. Rap fans the world over know his feature verses like that on “?,” from MF DOOM’s Operation: Doomsday.

As he prepares to release his new album, Majician, Kurious substantiates the legacy he’s long deserved. Produced by Mono En Stereo, and executive produced by Kurious’ longtime friend and collaborator DOOM before his passing, the album is a mesmerizing blend of technical wizardry and personal introspection. The pulsing drums on “Eye of Horus” convey urgency as Kurious weaves a complex tapestry of history and insight, while ducking through and under each pocket in the beat. “Separation Anxiety” is a personal bloodletting in the form of lyrical exercise, while “Par For the Course” makes drum breaks from the early Reagan era sound totally revitalized. The radical amount of work Kurious put into Majician cements his place as one of the premier MCs of his time.