Let us take a break from the continual horrors, the specter of death, and the march of injustice—or from our chosen inane diversions from all that—and listen to what the fuck I'm talking about right now: EPs.

"All the subpar mediocre shit is over with/I'm pro with this, y'all, I'm raw." Local scene queen (who shouldn't be local much longer) Gifted Gab's new three-song EP, G-Shit, reminds me exactly why I love short li'l projects so much—like Ice Cube's Kill at Will, E-40's Mr. Flamboyant, Black Flag's Jealous Again—when done right, they're just a perfect meal. Even though it's a good deal shorter, G-Shit is pound for pound—from cover art to sonic fidelity to song quality—a step up from her sophomore album, Girl Rap, and it feels a great deal more developed, with Gabby further exploring, and nailing, her best instincts—namely her, ah, gift of combining some of the region's Tim-sole hardest bars with on-point '90s R&B flava. In JayB she may have found an ideal production partner, too—the synthesis of G-Funk and blunted neo-soul haze complements her style perfectly. You should be just like me—that is, very interested in what Gab does in 2015.

With the growth amply displayed on his seven-song AURA EP (released in November), Minneapolis native/SEA resident Dex Amora is absolutely emerging as one of the most interesting new voices in the local palette. His sharp consciousness and subtly technical, flurrying, fleet-lipped technique make me think of cats from the Boogiemonsters to Mick Jenkins, and that's a very good thing. Far from '90s-tryhardism, this EP contains multitudes both contemporary ("ai'exlposion") and classic ("manym00ns"). AURA's warm, incense-scented, and consistent vibe is thanks to producers Mr. Troy, Goldenbeets (also responsible for the sharp and funny "Dear White Folks" by the homie Jamil Suleman), Vaughnilla, J'Von, and SoulChef (who, you'll recall, just did that album with Gabriel Teodros).

Meanwhile: Mega Evers's six-track Maladjusted is just the focused work I've been waiting to hear from the CD MC. Opening track "Can't Knock" is a clear-eyed progress report of his life to date, capped with a Dr. King clip about the nature of maladjustment—and is way better than your secretly (even to them) racist white coworkers quoting MLK to you on Facebook. Mega's unceasing ambition, while properly holding down a 9-to-5 and four children, drives his every bar. Mega speaks sharply on this hunger, whether it's to be sated in the booth or in the streets—but a long way from any d-boy supreme mathematics. Still, he's an artist: "Even if it pay, I'ma do it for me," he stresses. The stripped-down 808s & Heartbreak vibes from producer Fano suit Evers well, as does the explicit DJ Mustard pastiche "Hate to Love Me" from Nima Skeemz, and the Drake-esque "Deactivate." These cross-region pop nods don't ever feel like a stretch, though, and give Mega's sound some needed clarity.

Check all three, and I'll check you later. Try to enjoy your December, folks—drive even your rage with love.