For 21-year-old rapper Liim Lasalle, clarity is key. During his live shows, the Harlem-raised, Brooklyn-based rapper is keen on offering the audience a few words describing the origins of each track he performs. “I definitely think that a song hits harder when you know what it means,” he says over Zoom ahead of the release of his debut album, Liim Lasalle Loves You, out today. “Sometimes when you’re performing, niggas can’t really hear what the fuck you’re saying really in depth. So I feel like it gives someone a title before they start reading the book.”

The literary comparison is no accident. Liim’s music unfurls like a novel, with details compounding into scenes you can picture in your mind. Take his single “Mezcal,” from the new album, which he says was inspired by trying the drin

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