Laila's Wisdom

The album is Rapsody's first following her signing with Roc Nation in 2016,[4] and follows her mixtape Crown (2016).[5]

Rapsody has previously collaborated with several of the guests on the record, including Kendrick Lamar, who she collaborated with on the track "Complexion (A Zulu Love)" from Lamar's 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly,[1] which is credited with gaining Rapsody wider attention than she had had previously.[6] Lamar also rapped on the track "Rock the Bells" from her 2011 mixtape For Everything.[4] Rapsody also appeared on Anderson Paak's album Malibu, on "Without You".[1] Paak also appeared on Crown.[7]

In early September, Rapsody released "You Should Know" by Busta Rhymes as the first song from the album.[8] In an Instagram post, Rhymes called the album "the best album I've heard not only from a female MC but in Hip hop period as well that I've personally had a chance to hear from top to bottom in its entirety that I've probably in the last 10yrs [sic]".[4]

The guest appearances for the album were revealed in a video featuring Rapsody in a mural surrounded by the guests that appear on the record.[2]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	87/100[9]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[10]
Exclaim!	9/10[11]
HipHopDX	4.5/5[12]
Now	4/5[13]
RapReviews	9/10[14]
Vice	A−[15]
XXL	4/5[16]

Laila's Wisdom received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 87, based on seven reviews.[9] Michael J. Warren of Exclaim! called it Rapsody's best work, as well as "the best amongst her peers, the sort of album that transcends the lane she was in beforehand, transcends whatever antiquated gender biases may still permeate the genre and puts her in the same category as your favourite rapper (who's now clamouring for a Rapsody feature)."[11] Jesse Fairfax of HipHopDX found that "Rapsody evolves on this latest album—increasingly comfortable revealing a wide range of personal facets while developing into an apt storyteller."[12] Writing for XXL, Peter A. Berry described the album as "a smooth, cohesive and powerfully insightful effort."[16] In his review for AllMusic, writer Andy Kellman praised Rapsody's progression on the album, writing that "Laila's Wisdom is Evans' lyrically broadest and musically richest work, yet it doesn't have the sprawling quality of the first album. There's a finer, detail-filled shape to it, from the "Young, Gifted, and Black" (Aretha)-sampling title track to "Jesus Coming," an astonishing finale in which Evans relates the aftermath of a playground tragedy from multiple perspectives."[10]

Track listing and credits adapted from Tidal.[19]

Sample credits[20]

• "Laila's Wisdom" contains elements from "Young, Gifted and Black" performed by Aretha Franklin.
• "Power" contains elements from "And That's Saying a Lot" performed by Christine McVie and "May the Force Be with You" performed by Bootsy's Rubber Band.
• "Ridin" contains elements from "Teasing You" performed by Andre Solomko.
• "Nobody" contains elements from "LoFi" performed by Ronya, "Nobody" performed by Moonchild and "Hey! Last Minute" performed by The Meters.
• "Black & Ugly" contains elements from "Outro: I Surrender" performed by Tweet.
• "You Should Know" contains elements from "Cell Therapy" performed by Goodie Mob.
• "A Rollercoaster Jam Called Love" contains elements from "Holy Smokes & Gee Wiz" performed by Tony! Toni! Toné!.
• "Knock on My Door" contains elements from "June" performed by Gianni Marchetti.
• "Jesus Coming" contains elements from "Time to Go Home" written and performed by Otis G Johnson.

Credits adapted from Tidal.[19]

Notes

• ^{^[a]} Navran, Bryk, and Mattison are collectively credited as Moonchild, their band name, for their feature on "Nobody".