From the outset, Edgar comes off as a humble artist; there’s hardly any battle rhymes here. Aside from The Formula 2005, no time is wasted indulging in braggadocios; apparently, Edgar deems his message(s) more pressing.

On I For An I and Timelife, he addresses people - wannabe rappers in particular - and urges them to approach their lives/careers purposefully and think about infusing into hip-hop rather than diffusing it. With Faith In Love and Livelyhood, he calls on fans to enjoy music first instead of rushing to decorticate it. As he sees it, music is life’s soundtrack and a trip down memory lane in Back In Time is sure to resonate with many. Admittedly, Edgar has a penchant for optimism but, fortunately, his discourse won’t be confused for sappy and mushy declarations.

Interspersed with snippets from a live show, the True Links’ subject matter is broken down into three categories: food for thought, real experiences and hype shit.

Besides a clever structure, Edgar also displays astuteness in some of his decisions - whether conscious or not. On the production, he enlists the services of several underappreciated producers, most notably Justus League fellows 9th Wonder and Khrysis, and up-and-comer Illmind. Their beats are far from their best work and don’t really stand out on their own. (One would think Edgar would have been better off producing the whole thing himself - he produced Livelyhood under the alias of Slicemysta, and it’s the best beat on the EP!) But, supplemented with Edgar’s vocals, the otherwise mundane productions sound vibrant. They provide the perfect support for Edgar’s easygoing flow and perfectly compliment (and complement) his tone, which has shades of Ed O.G.’s abrasive delivery and Mase’s monotonous cool.

True Links showcases a thoughtful emcee, eager to share his passion for music and his joie de vivre. It also showcases an involved artist and a budding producer. Edgar Allen Floe is confident his display of skill on True Links would attract you towards his upcoming album, and rightfully so. He imagines that scenario on Faith In Love and hopefully it will play out aplenty.