There are plenty of rap songs out there taking shots at the state of hip hop, but few do it as intelligently, and with the all-encompassing scope Busdriver brings to "Least Favorite Rapper." The song is our first taste of his upcoming album Jhelli Beam, and features guest rapper Nocando, who brings a more traditional but still snarling rap style that works seamlessly alongside Busdriver's eccentric, stringy word play. The two take plenty of shots at mainstream rappers with "more cribs than McCain" and who claim to "sell more drugs than the FDA."

But the song really takes off when it expands beyond mainstream rap, examining race and class issues surrounding independent rap (they call it "nerd rap") where Nocando complains that "suburban kids claim I'm not street enough" and Busdriver worries he's liked because "his lead single's about lazer beams and force fields." The song's constant stream of ideas is a staggering amount to take in when stuffed into three-plus minutes, particularly with the ferocious back and forth between Busdriver and Nocando. And the beat, laced with the blips and boops of Busdriver's more recent work threaded through a darker, grimier beat, is spare and driving and excellent. "Least Favorite Rapper" is yet another verbose and clever track from Busdriver, complete with one of his patented goofy-but-sharp hooks. And it proves that, despite it's kid-like title, Jhelli Beam is looking more and more like another challenging work from an always compelling performer.

Jhelli Beam is out June 9 on Anti.