When a song starts “couldn’t care less about the glamour and the glitz/I’m just tryna feed my kids without the hammer and the wrist,” you’re getting a good one. You know you’re for a gritty, bar-heavy song about the harsh realities of the environment the artist(s) are products of. That’s what we get on “Peak Mean” from JRoberts, Conway the Machine and ShowRocka. Sonically, it’s a track that’ll have you with the screwface throughout.

If you’ve lived that life, you know where these lyrics and desire to keep pushing through (even when you’ve seen some things) come from. If you haven’t, then here’s a look into that world. Each lyricist paints a harsh-but-vivid representation of their neighborhoods. Nothing’s flowery and airy about these areas. Instead, we see that there are many dog-eat-dog moments and that this life truly is about survival and evolution. Production-wise, a dramatic piano melody placed over thumping drums is what we get. And that, my friends, is subdued but still attention-grabbing. The nature of this track makes it so the beat conforms perfectly to the flows.

Check out the track below and support dope music in all its forms. Also, if you’ve lived that life and were able to get out, kudos. If you’re still there, I understand. Trust me.