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If you don’t keep up with hip-hop like you’ve been hunting for Pokémon this month, you’ve probably never heard of Pro Era - a rap collective formed in 2009 in Flatbush, Brooklyn. As of now, Pro Era is most known for their collaborations with artists like A$AP Mob and Flatbush Zombies, and their most visible member, Joey Bada$$ received some attention for his 2012 mixtape 1999 and most recent album, B4.DA.$$ (2015). However, the crew’s top producer but lesser-known member, Kirk Knight, raps too - and he’s pretty damn good at it.

 

Twenty-year-old Knight (born Kirlan Labarrie) grew up in Brooklyn, where he met fellow Pro Era member, Jo-Vaughn Scott (better known as Joey Bada$$) in middle school. Although growing up he wanted to be a chemist, Knight was introduced to hip-hop and started producing at 15, took on rapping at 16, featuring on other Pros’ songs, and released his debut album, Late Knight Special, on Oct. 30, 2015.

 

Knight’s lyrics are heavily narrative, telling tales of growing up in gritty Brooklyn while still revering the city that made him. His innate ability to keep time punctuates his delivery plus his East Coast dialect equate to substantial lyricism. What he lacks in clever wordplay, Knight makes up for in provocative, layered beats.

 

Knight considers his debut more of a project than a studio album and told Vibe he’s “been waiting a long time to make music for everybody.” Nearly a year after its release, Late Knight Special hasn’t received much attention, but it’s worth a listen. If nothing else, it’s an insight to a sick sophomore album and this dude’s undeniable talent as a producer.