Philly‘s gravel-voiced underground star Grand Agent has spent the last two years educating himself in Germany and has arrived back on US soil in the finest form of his career. On Under the Circumstances, Grand Agent teams up with producer Oh No, who has crafted a palette of beats that further differentiate him from the prolific and often more laid back style of his brother Madlib. As always, lyricism is placed squarely in the forefront, but Grand Agent‘s sharpness and agility make his measures mold to a variety of sounds, including old-school “golden era” cuts, soul-infused downtempo joints, and electronically enhanced club bangers. This shows a more worldly approach to the vibrantly international subterranean rap scene.