About a month ago, at underground hip-hop luminary Ka’s pop-up sale in the Lower East Side, I spotted Gabe ’Nandez walking out with an armful of records and gear—like a kid leaving Game Stop on their birthday. Makes sense given that Gabe’s katana-sharp pen takes inspiration from the Brooklyn MC’s writing without ever feeling like swagger jacking. Just check his recently released deluxe edition of this year’s suffocating H.T.III: It overflows with killer moments of self-introspection and fly rhymes. Standout track “Origami” is a solid glimpse at his approach: A string-heavy Argov beat that would suit a sad French gangster flick, and bars that range from style markers (the XXXL polo he copped) to succinct musings (“My heart all balled up in quarantine.”) No matter what the writing pops as much on the page as it does on wax.

With artists releasing songs at a fast and furious pace, it’s difficult for the average hip-hop head to keep track of it all—no matter how tapped in they are. That’s why we created The Ones, a daily post to highlight the song you need to hear.

Check out previous Ones, and listen to new music from Gabe ’Nandez and more on our Spotify playlist.