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Valee is concise. In an era where a rapper's omnipresence and volume of output can obscure the line between charisma and talent, the Chicago MC has the rare ability to get in and get out in all aspects of his career. Valee's songs rarely go past three minutes. They purposefully act as eternal appetizers, forcing the listener to want more from an elusive star in the making. His social media presence is scarce and direct like his artistry.

Perhaps the best summary of Valee's skillset is on his figuratively and literally breathtaking guest verse on Z-Money's "Two 16's." Throughout the entire feature, Valee takes zero breaths. The lyrics — "Yves-Saint-Laurent-bookbag-on-my-back-don't-look-back" — read and sound like a to-do list. Symbolically, the comparison is fitting: Listening to a Valee song is the audio equivalent of the adrenaline rush that scratching off tasks from a to-do list elicits.

Over the phone, MTV News spoke with the rising Chicago rapper about his musical process, phone calls with Kanye West, and features with Chance the Rapper and Jeremih. Here's what to know.