This past weekend Meek Mill observed his 30th birthday, and to celebrate he released a three song EP called Meekend Music. It’s no victory lap or a personal “Happy Birthday”; this much is made clear by opening track “$LAY.” Producer Honorable C-Note lays down a sweeping beat anchored by menacing horns out of a swords-and-sandals epic. He also punctuates the beat with synths straight out of a 1950s monster movie—which make Meek and Ferg sound like supervillains hatching a plan. Meek taps into a delirious double-time flow, while Ferg’s giddy verse doubles down on the production, calling to mind an image of a braggart twirling his mustache.

Meek also uses this song as an opportunity to respond to beefs old and new: “Maybe I’ll sell if I rap and I lie,” is a callback to his long-standing Drake beef over Meek’s ghostwriting allegations, while other lines seem to address the simmering tensions between he and former partner Nicki Minaj. However to dwell on the headline-grabbing punchlines is to miss what continues to make Meek an essential rapper. Here, Meek’s flow is impeccable, and even on a celebratory release, he never phones it in.