Please Don’t Cry
Rapsody
2024
Please Don’t Cry is presented as a “love story with the reflection in the mirror.” But Marlanna Evans revealed a pivotal conversation with the producer No ID. “He was like, ‘Everybody knows you can rap, but I can’t tell you five things that I know about you.’” Thus began the North Carolina native’s journey inward: Before she could reintroduce herself to her fans, she’d have to know herself first. The result of that journey, Please Don’t Cry, is Rapsody’s deepest and boldest work yet.
“Who are you in your rawest state?” asks the gentle voice of the album’s narrator, Phylicia Rashad. Making the record, Rapsody found her mind wandering towards The Matrix, in particular the relationship between Neo and the Oracle.
“He’s trying to find his way, trying to find himself…and she’s kind of his guiding voice. I was like, ‘That’s kind of what this journey has been for me, but who would be my Oracle?’” Rashad was the first name that came to mind. Through interludes, the Tony Award winner nudges Rapsody further down the path of vulnerability: “Who are you when you’re joyful? What makes you sad? Why do you cry?”
Stand-Out Tracks
Raw
Stand Tall
DND (It’s Not Personal)
