So the compilation passes by like a cloud, and the individual tapes blend into each other. It’s the kind of luxury rap you can listen to in just about any situation and feel like you’re sipping mimosas by the beach. If you miss a detail, there’s bound to be something else you can sink into a couple bars down. And though his rhymes are dense and drunk with language, they’re never hard to follow. He’s not far off on “Montreux” when he compares his music to Marvin Gaye’s 1980 performance at that famous jazz festival.

His music is weightless, decked out with lounge guitar and gossamer string samples. That this sameness can sustain itself for so long is a tribute to just how complete and enjoyable Curren$y’s aesthetic is. And though his discography’s full of surprises, like the live-band Muscle Car Chronicles, he doesn’t stray far from his comfort zone on the Pilot Talk series, working mostly with soul-enamored beatmaker Ski and sticking to weed, cars, jets and women as subject matter-with plenty of digressions that make his rhymes all the more delightful. Some songs have hooks some have guests some are just Curren$y rapping for two or three or four minutes with no chorus or guests or interruptions. Each tape is about 45 minutes, and together they sprawl to about the length of one of Curren$y’s favorite classic films. The most lovable facets of the man’s music are on full display on his Pilot Talk trilogy, now freshly packaged together and finally available to stream. He’s the type to brag about his argyle socks or recommend the hand-squeezed lemonade at his favorite diner. Even those who don’t smoke can understand his fixation with creature comforts, often the kind you’d expect to be enjoyed by a middle-aged man rather than an MC in his mid-‘30s. He’s always curled up in a couch, or jetting off to some faraway place, or staring out the window and remarking on just how beautiful the view is. There’s a pervasive sense of comfort and serenity in the man’s music. I mean people who still remember why they started burning the bud in the first place. Curren$y makes weed rap for people who love weed, not for people who like the idea of weed they can stick with their Afroman and pot-leaf-printed beanies.

Curren y pilot talk trilogy playlist