Toosii doesn’t hide his emotions; he wears them on his sleeve. On the deluxe version of his EP Boys Don’t Cry, the North Carolina rapper, signed to South Coast Music Group alongside the likes of DaBaby, admits that, even though he’s found major success in his career and presents himself as doing fine to his friends and supporters, he’s been battling depression, isolation, and thoughts of self-harm. “Feel like even when I win, it's like I always get defeated,” he laments on “Heartaches.” Boys Don’t Cry: Men Do does have brief pockets of joy and bravado: “Since 9th Grade” tenderly recalls childhood memories with the girl who would eventually become his partner and the mother of his child; “Date Night” sets the mood for a late-night tryst; and “Butterfly” overflows with gratitude and admiration for a partner and her impact on his life. But for the most part, this is a record steeped in pain, conveyed by bluesy guitars, moody pianos, and Toosii’s somber, rap-styled singing. “Last Song” pleads to his fans to stick by him as he’s going through emotional turmoil; “How Does It Feel” bitterly side-eyes an ex for finding happiness with a new man. The album is at its best when Toosii is able to harness his pain into thoughtful metaphors, creative song structures, and caption-ready lyrics. The title of “Bikini Bottom” might make it look like a sex anthem, but it’s actually a motif for drowning—a way of illustrating the various traumas he endured on his way to the top, such as homelessness, lost loved ones, and poverty so crippling he couldn’t even afford to call collect. The single “Love is…” attempts to make sense of heartbreak through a pair of choruses and one long verse, with vignettes and inquiries dispersed throughout. “I just wanna meet whoever made love, 'cause it hurt,” Toosii croons. Here’s hoping he finds peace, but at least the vulnerability jams in the meantime.