Sometimes, in your progression, you have to move on past your past self. No one’s saying you have to forget your past. However, you’ve got to unapologetically step into your present and future, saying “damn what anyone else thinks.” That’s especially true in music. Heck, if I stayed the same ol’ J Dot I was in college, my currently legacy wouldn’t have been as fruitful. Had I continued lone wolfing my way through life, not advocating for myself as much as I did for others, etc., there’d be no SOTB (rap or writing-wise) as you know me today. I say that all to say growth and maturation are as basic to success as learning to breathe is basic to living. Never forget, but never settle.

Lil Flower Nasti, an SOTB veteran, just dropped her newest song “Not Sorry.” It’s a song that is chockful of this sort of energy. The first thing you notice is that it’s less airy and even less vintage sounding than some of her earlier pieces. This results in a more-mature outlook and range, both lyrically and vocally. She challenges herself here and passes with colors flying high. Overall, the song grabs you with its Gennessee-handled production but keeps you with LFN’s proclamation. She speaks life into her new path by embracing her past (songs, lyrics, outlooks on love, etc.) but moving on beyond it. “Not Sorry” is the type of track you’ve heard from Nasti before–but not in this way. She has a certain gravitas to and command of her new-ish sound on “Not Sorry” that was missing in some of her earlier work. What gave me the most goosebumps was the way the first verse goes. Without giving too much away, I’ll just say that I’m even more excited for Lil Flower Nasti’s upcoming work. The whole song is an anthemic bop, but that first verse? That is where the chips are first pushed into the middle of the card table.

If I’ve piqued your interest (which I assume I’ve done; otherwise, you would’ve left), check out “Not Sorry” below and remember to support dope music in all its forms.