Like a turnaround jumper made in the final seconds of a crucial basketball game, Pusha T delivered a game-winner with the fourth-quarter release of Darkest Before Dawn.

A lean collection of dark chaos (“Keep Dealing,” “Untouchable”) the 10-track offering serves a prelude to the still-in-the-works main event, King Push. According to P, the mafioso puns and off-kilter vibes will be taken up another notch on the new album.

“Darkest Before Dawn, that was something I really wanted to get off my chest to set the tone the way that I feel like my fans like to hear my music,” says Push to REVOLT.

“King Push on the other hand, I have to say that it has a few more colors. Little bit of diversity and y’all gonna check it out soon.”

As a skilled technician in the arts and craft of rap, the G.O.O.D. Music president also makes it crystal clear about what his aim is when it comes to his black-steel ’90s flow and multi-layered rhyme patterns. “I’m trying to keep my music very lyric driven [and] it’s an acquired taste,” he says. “It’s like a fine wine, I’m showing people the fundamental of hip-hop, lyric-driven hip-hop… don’t go out of style.”

“Right now for me, it’s just really about being a part of the culture [and] of how I saw it.”

Pusha T’s Darkest Before Dawn is available now on iTunes.