Hip-Hop Lives Here
Hip-Hop Lives Here
It’s officially Smurk season. Lil Durk just announced that his next album Almost Healed will release next week on May 12. Via Instagram, he shared the news with excited fans by sharing the cover art and release date, keeping his word. Moreover, the Chicago MC promised to do so if fans left 100K comments on a post promoting his upcoming music video with J. Cole. As such, fans responded rabidly and eventually reached the milestone, and Durk delivered just a few days later. Given just how much he teased this album’s arrival, his supporters must be ecstatic that it’s coming so soon after these updates.
Furthermore, Lil Durk said that the album was finished just a couple of weeks ago in April. However, one thing that remains to be seen is if he landed one of his dream features: SZA. “@sza the goat,” he wrote on his Instagram Story. “Y’all bet not sleep or get blind. Every female every car every sale she really her… I need you on my album ASAP [trophy emoji and sunglasses emoji]. A hit not a regular song. Go tag sza blow her s**t down. Tell her Smurk need her.”
What’s more is that The Voice recently reflected on how therapy has helped him a lot in his personal life. We’ll see if such reflections find their way on Almost Healed‘s tracklist, whose title certainly points to that. “Being more open,” Lil Durk remarked on how the process has uplifted him. “Being more open to letting [my new manager] Pete [Jideonwo] in. Moving certain people out the way. That’s the best feeling. Therapy, the kids, the new team, all that. But the best feeling is really just starting over.
“I got a therapist so I cope different,” he continued. “I don’t show emotion. So, some people will be like, ‘Man, you can’t hold it in.’ And I just can’t talk to nobody usually. You gotta be careful how you tell people, what you tell people, because they can use it against you. They can find out your weaknesses. So now, when I talk to the therapist, then it start getting more emotional. But like somebody on the street, you’ll never even see me shed a tear. I think I had to go to therapy fresh out the womb.” Let us know if you’re excited for Almost Healed down in the comments below. Also, stick around on HNHH for the latest news and updates on Lil Durk.
Share
Advertisement
Lupe Fiasco has announced his new album Samurai and shared the first single from the project.
On Friday (May 17), the Chicago rapper revealed his ninth studio album will be released on June 28. Samurai will include eight tracks and is produced entirely by longtime collaborator Soundtrakk.
The producer is best known for being behind some of Lupe’s biggest tracks, including “Kick, Push,” “Superstar” and “Hip Hop Saved My Life.”
To go with the announcement, Lupe Fiasco dropped the title track “Samurai” alongside a music video, which finds Lupe rapping around his hometown.
“I sometimes get tagged by my fans as not doing personal records,” he said, per Season of Mist. “But I always tell people there’s me in there if you listen closely enough. This album is one of my more personal records to date.
“It’s not a full biography, but my personal experiences are tied up in all of my music. A lot of the records are me. Some are from the POV of a character. and some are me. The album weaves things from my life as an artist, touching on things other artists go through.”
Lupe Fiasco also spoke about making Samurai with Soundtrakk and his manager Charles “Chilly” Patton, who was released from prison last year after spending 16 years behind bars, while explaining the meaning behind the title.
“It felt great to be back in the studio again as a family,” he said. “The word ‘samurai’ means to serve. My relationship to that word has always meant that you need to be at the service of other people, either in the overall community, or in this instance, the rap community at large that I’ve been a part of for years.
“You have some duty, some purpose to serve. The title alone is very important to me. Before rap even, martial arts was my whole life, and it still plays a huge role in my life. The album is me, but also inspired by a quote I heard from one of my favorite artists.”
He added: “The overall themes of the album speak to the constant fight and the battle one goes through being in the entertainment industry. Some of the things we need to defend.”
Samurai serves as the follow-up to 2022’s Drill Music in Zion, which was also produced Soundtrakk along with Lupe himself.
Check out the tracklist below.
1. Samurai
2. Mumble Rap
3. Cake
4. Palaces
5. Headbanger
6. Big Foot
7. Outside
8. Til Eternity
Share
Advertisement
