Standing 10 toes isn’t easy, but Jay Montana makes it feel that way. And he sounds really cool while doing it. Since emerging in 2020, the Mobile, Alabama artist has combined blunt street raps and narcotized melodies to evoke the triumph and tragedy of the hustle — soundtracks for strivers and survivors in the game and outside of it. It’s a mesmerizing cocktail that’s made him a face of the New Alabama, and he adds potent new ingredients on Don’t Panic, an engrossing project that affirms the value of staying down and remaining true. His Nino Paid-assisted single, “Stand 4 Sumn,” is the first testament. Sprinting across a haunting Julie Doiron sample, Montana and Nino lay bare the existential pain that goes with keeping it all the way real. Stylish, yet forlorn — exasperated, yet level — it’s a push-pull energy that’s as emotionally truthful as it is compelling. More symbolically, it’s the latest sign that Jay Montana is ready for his next level-up. Two months ago, he fortified his buzz with Montana 2 (Deluxe), a collage of pained melodies, quippy bars, impenetrable authority and swaggering style. “I’m in my told you so era,” he says, proudly. “I know folks thought all this would never happen.” His breakout single, also titled “Don’t Panic,” rendered melodic flows and trap ambitions to their fullest effect, creating an emphatic anthem for his city to vibe to. It was a promising preview for the future. On tracks like “Goodbye” he can be mournful and contemplative. Then on offerings like “Trap Jumpin,” he’s back in the kitchen, celebrating the glory of the bando. And then there’s everything in between. “Whatever you’re feeling at that time I got something for it,” he says. With the release of Don’t Panic, he continues the tradition, one he hopes he’ll maintain for a long time. “I feel like I’m in the process of proving people wrong,” he says, “but I’m just getting started.”