This is the 3rd studio LP from Detroit, Michigan emcee Courtney Bell. Dropping his full-length debut 10 Commandments in 2018 followed by the debut mixtape Poverty Stricken a couple years later, he would later be taken under the mentorship of Royce da 5’9” & his 2024 sophomore effort Microdose under MNRK Music Group provided a new perspective after he overcame his own mental health struggles. Celebrating its anniversary a couple weeks earlier, he’s realizing It Gets Greater Later prior to the month of May ending.
“Wounded Healer (Book of Eli)” begins with this soulfully drumless intro clocking in at 2 & a half minutes talking about turning his verses into gospel whereas “Stumble” reminds the world that every single one of us are flawed. “He Don’t Know” leans more towards a pop rap vibe telling this woman that her man has no idea how to treat her just before talking about “Everyday” being the same shit, scheming only so he can get by.
Meanwhile on “Virgil”, we have Courtney over a jazzier Detroit sound promising that he ain’t ever going back to the hood when he checks out to life the rest of his days while “Guard My Temple” blends some horns & bells talking about being fed up with acting like he ain’t the one they’re copying. “ISO” continues the trap instrumentation cautioning that he’ll leave someone on a stretcher if his trigger finger gets itchy while “Bang” featuring Benny the Butcher rehashes one of my favorite Microdose moments for some reason.
“Problems” turns up the soulfulness discussing the fact everyone has their own respective issues that they’re dealing with while “Costly” featuring Nick Grant unites over a jazzy boom bap beat talking about how if they ain’t done it, they’ve seen it. “Hope You Understand” confessing him finding God after a period in time where he almost didn’t make it & “Thank You” concludes It Gets Greater Later talking about the grieving he’s been doing.
2 years since his MNRK debut, Courtney Bell’s return conceptually bases itself around delayed gratification & suggesting that we should instead put faith above timing. Basically when he says It Gets Greater Later, it really does. The production varies between boom bap, jazz rap, drumless, trap & Detroit trap telling us that God sometimes hides the reward until the soul’s ready to carry it & most of the guest appearances doing the hooks aside from a couple.
Score: 7/10