Qualls Examines Masculinity, Maturity and Relationships on All Is Well

There's no shortage of great writing about toxic masculinity within hip-hop — or in the broader music industry, for that matter. And sure enough, men in rap have tried addressing it with various degrees of success. One recent standout example is Big K.R.I.T.'s "Mixed Messages," which saw the Mississippi rapper trying to unravel his own discography's disparate collection of love songs and strip club anthems, as well as materialistic rhymes and soul-searching verses.

In a similar vein, Chattanooga-raised and Nashville-residing artist Qualls explores the effects that toxic masculinity and a burgeoning rap career can have on relationships in his new album All Is Well.

Qualls has a somewhat low-key flow, but he still manages to convey heartbreak in his rhymes and and delivery, complemented by beats that sometimes are mellow and a bit sad themselves: The drums are on the slower side while the bass is often loud and moody, and swirling, echoey samples and instrumentals reflect the rapper's internal conflict. At times, it's a bit reminiscent of 88 Keys' The Death of Adam or the collaborations between Murs and 9th Wonder, but Qualls' work seems more distilled and focused.

It's worth noting that the laid-back approach may make it easy to overlook some of Qualls' impressive lyricism. Just because it's mood music doesn't mean he didn't bring bars. This is also a concise album, with an 1- track run that clocks in at just over half an hour, adding to the project's nice, focused feel.

You can listen to All Is Well via Apple Music, Spotify or Tidal — we've dropped in the Spotify version below. Below that, check out the music video for the All Is Well track "Overtime," and keep up with Qualls on Twitter and Instagram.