Like “First Step,” the first March on Washington single Diamond District dropped on us several weeks back, “Lost Cause” sets the mood with a soul sample or two—but producer and MC Oddisee tells the Village Voice it’s actually a subtle change of pace for him and his collaborators, yU and Uptown X.O.

“Traditionally, Diamond District has been deep-rooted in boom-bap early ’90s hip-hop, with the tempo ranging between 86 and 96 [bpm], and this one is a half-tempo beat,” Oddisee tells the paper. “Even though it’s familiar with our sounds, it’s a little bit outside the range of what people would usually expect from us. We chose this track because of content matter and to display some diversity from us.”

The 14-track project was recorded over two weeks in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, where the group’s founder and lone producer, Largo native Oddisee, now lives. While the group’s earlier work expressed a commitment to boom-bap, “First Step” negotiates a sweet spot between hard-nosed hip-hop and electronic funk—a testament to Oddisee’s creative growth. Lyrically, the record isn’t as politically charged as its title would lead you to believe.

“It’s definitely not about the march back in the day,” says yU. “It’s about inspiring folks to keep pushing. A lot of people strive for trophies, but won’t even go the full length. They want the end result before it’s time. And this is more so us saying that we’re pushing on.”