Source: @JustInMyView / R1 Digital
Juice WRLD — Death Race for Love
Fresh off a breakout year, Juice WRLD revs up his engine once again with the release of his highly-anticipated new album, Death Race for Love. Out now via Grade A Productions and Interscope Records, the anxiously-awaited LP consists of 22 new songs.
The rapper-singer, born Jarad Higgins, didn’t pack this effort with a slew of guests. Instead, he handles a bulk of the vocal duties on his own. However, he does make way for Brent Faiyaz on the “Demonz” interlude, Clever on “Ring Ring,” and Young Thug for “On God.”
Despite the fact that only three credited guests appear on the project, Juice WRLD did call on a variety of producers for assistance behind the boards. Many of them have big credits to their names, including Louis Bell, Frank Dukes, Nick Mira, Boi-1da, Hit-Boy, Tommy Brown, Cardo, and Rvssian are among the producers on this project.
Death Race follows last year’s Goodbye & Good Riddance, which featured fan favorites like “Lucid Dreams,” “Lean Wit Me,” and “All Girls Are the Same,” among others. The project helped Juice WRLD catapult into a breakout role in music.
This time around, Juice said he wanted to avoid any restrictions with his creative process. “The last album had a certain vibe to it,” he told Billboard. “But my new album has no boundaries. I finally found my own style, and it’s the best feeling ever.”
Stream Death Race for Love below.
YBN Cordae — “Have Mercy”
Cashing in on a spike in buzz, YBN Cordae delivers another loose track in “Have Mercy.” The song works as an anticipation builder for his hype-filled next project, though it’s unclear whether it will appear on the much-discussed LP.
“I don’t know where I’m goin’,” he raps on the cut. “But I hope I’m on the right path / Life’ll hit you with a light jab / Mike Tyson, strike back… I just wanna get my life back.”
After making waves with his “Old Niggas” response to J. Cole’s “1985 – Intro to ‘The Fall Off,’” Cordae keeps the theme alive on “Have Mercy.” “You’re mad at me because your pace slower,” he raps at his older counterparts without naming names. “Bitter nigga, you a shade-thrower / I was just sleepin’ on a sofa / Now I ride with a paid chauffer / Because I’m way doper.”
He may have some haters, but Cordae’s also got some of the biggest veteran cosigns in the industry. Recently, Diddy praised the rising rapper in an Instagram-posted clip. “He’s really revealing his soul and he’s trying to come get it,” Diddy said. “He’s a special one.” Dr. Dre also appeared in a social media-shared video beside Cordae. “My nigga hard as shit,” said the Aftermath CEO. “Brand new…He hard as fuck. Real shit.”
Listen to “Have Mercy” below.
Def Jam — Undisputed
Def Jam Recordings is celebrating its 35th anniversary with a bang. The venerated label that was once home to LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, JAY-Z, DMX, and many more, has grouped together some of its burgeoning artists for a special new compilation, Undisputed.
YK Osiris, Sneakk, Lul G, Fetty Luciano, YFL Kelvin, TJ Porter, Dominic Lord, and Bernard Jabs are among the upstarts who appear on the project. More seasoned rappers like YG, Tyga, and Rich the Kid also lend a hand. The effort arrives along with a multi-part documentary series about its creation.
Def Jam chairman & CEO Paul Rosenberg announced the project earlier this year. “One of the most important aspects of our efforts has centered around building a new roster,” he said via press release. “Together with these incredible new artists, we have developed urgent, cutting-edge, and truly great new music and content.”
Def Jam’s EVP and head of A&R Steven Victor said this is also an important moment for the label. “I’m beyond excited about the roster of new artists we’ve built here at Def Jam,” he beamed. “Each one of them is making the kind of music I want to listen to now. We’ve brought them together and asked them to buy into something larger, the Def Jam logo and legacy. It’s remarkable to see how much these artists have embraced it. I couldn’t be more proud of the results.”
Meet Def Jam’s up and comers on Undisputed below.
Wyclef Jean — Wyclef Goes Back to School
Two years removed from Carnival III: The Fall and Rise of a Refugee, Wyclef Jean rolls out his newest album, Wyclef Goes Back to School. It gives the decorated rapper-singer-producer a new canvas with.
On this go around, the former Fugees star tapped many different artists for this compilation, including Riley, Freaky Pat, Phern, Sejahari Amaru Saulter-Villegas, Ausar, Wavie D, Jazzy Amra, and more.
Clef reflects on his legacy on tracks like “When A Rose Dies.” “The irony of life, sometimes it makes me think / I’m only fresh for a second, then the flesh stinks,” he raps. “It’s back to the Earth with the fire ants / Only thing I leave behind is my fingerprint.”
If Wyclef is going to school on this effort, he is learning from a variety of sources. Don Chino, for instance, raps in Spanish on “When A Rose Dies”; Ausar rhymes with rapid-fire flare on “Hieroglyphics”; and Saulter-Villegas provides a spoken word poem on the “Back to School Intro.”
The seasoned star addressed these newcomers with gratitude on Twitter. “While everyone is curating a playlist, I curated talent that I could have only found by coming back to school,” he tweeted. “I feel proud to share this music I made with these talented students through grassroots discovery.”
Go Back to School with Clef below.
