On September 9, 2014, Rapsody announced her latest project on Instagram with the release date of October 7, 2014, along with a picture of the artwork.[1] After the EP's release, she released music videos for the songs Drama, Godzilla, and The Man through VEVO all directed by Cam Be.[2][3][4]
Beauty and the Beast received generally positive reviews from critics. HipHopDX reviewer Marcus Dowling called it "a stellar take on her strengths", albeit one that does not "experiment enough with her delivery to truly carry Jamla's searing production."[6] Justin Charity from Complex regarded the EP as "a work of brute strength and self-determination. There’s zero capitulation to popular taste."[5] In Vice, Robert Christgau called it an "underground rap manifesto as genuinely worthwhile endeavor", citing "Hard to Choose" and "The Man" as highlights.[7]