After five years worth of mixtapes and guest appearances, G Herbo has finally released his long in-the-works album, Humble Beast. On the record, the Chicago rapper brings all his songwriting talents to bear, and no track better exemplifies this than the mid-album cut “Malcolm.” Here, we see Herbo show-off his many sides: gruff street barker, hometown hero, and gifted storyteller.

Over a slick boom-bap beat from producer DJ L, he passionately narrates the story of Malcolm, a Chicago kid who gets mixed up in the streets and pays the ultimate price. Herbo has a long history of penning vivid street tales, but on “Malcolm” he zooms out further, painting detailed vignettes in Malcolm’s short life and connecting them to the systemic forces that guide his fate. Herbo renders these moments with the cinematic flair of a true crime story but his perspective and sage tone make it feel much larger. Towards the end of the song, Herbo neatly wraps up Malcolm’s story into a parable: “The saddest thing about life it keep revolving,” he raps. “Same gutter, same group of people starving.” Danny Brown recently tweeted that “Malcolm” is exactly the kind of song young rappers should be emulating. In terms of songwriting, it’s a high bar for his peers to meet.