Curren$y - Collection Agency (5th Anniversary) [Blue & Orange]

Smooth as a Sunday cruise with the windows down, Collection Agency returns for its fifth anniversary on a limited blue and orange vinyl reissue.

Released in 2021, the album found the New Orleans rapper doing what he does best: laid-back bars about cars, cannabis and quiet luxury, delivered with a drawl so relaxed it makes everyone else sound like they are rushing. Coming deep into a famously prolific career, it is a concise ten-track listen that rewards replays rather than demanding attention.

"Kush Through the Sunroof" sets the tone with hazy, jazzy production and effortless cadences, while "Jermaine Dupri" tips its cap to a hip-hop architect with a knowing grin. "Shout Out" pairs him with Bay Area kindred spirit Larry June, a natural fit given their shared love of the good life, and "Ferrari Engine" purrs along with low-slung, soulful confidence.

Nothing here is in a hurry, and that is precisely the point of the whole exercise. The beats are warm and spacious, leaving room for every punchline and car reference to land.

For Jet Life loyalists it is a handsome way to revisit a quietly excellent entry in a vast catalog, and for newcomers it is a perfect introduction to the art of sounding effortless.