Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats are coming back with their new album ii on August 21

Six years after their celebrated collaboration Unlocked, Denzel Curry and producer Kenny Beats are announcing a new joint album. The project is called ii and will be released on August 21 via Loma Vista. It marks the first time the two have made a full album together again, and it also serves as the first release under the producer's new name: Kenneth Blume III, as he now calls himself. Even so, the chemistry between the two is unmistakably still there.

The making of ii was not without friction. According to a press release, Curry and Blume frequently found themselves at complete odds during the recording sessions, which ultimately pushed them to strip things back to the basics. The album was recorded using nothing more than an SP 404 sampler and a cheap microphone, a deliberate choice to keep the focus on the heart of their collaboration. Blume put it this way in the press release: "The work Denzel and I do has never been easy, which is why it's so rewarding. We've started every project on opposite sides of a coin and fought our way to the center. When I hear this album I hear the growth and the fight in equal parts."

The nine track list of ii features guest appearances from Jpegmafia on "Evil Grin," Westside Gunn on "Crown," and singer Yebba on the closing track "Difference," which has also been released as the lead single. That last one is an energetic boom bap track where Curry raps with technical precision and drive while Yebba brings her signature voice to the hook. Yebba is no stranger to the genre, having previously appeared on tracks by artists including A$AP Rocky, Tyler the Creator, Daniel Caesar, and Drake. The accompanying music video, directed by NOTACHANCE, is shot in a VHS style split screen format that captures the early years of both Curry and Blume.

For Denzel Curry, ii is yet another testament to his relentless work ethic. The Florida rapper already dropped the mixtape Strictly 4 The Scythe earlier this year with his underground rap collective the Scythe, collaborated with Knocked Loose, and opened for Deftones on their European tour. His upcoming run with Knocked Loose shows he continues to push the boundary between hip hop and rock. Kenneth Blume, meanwhile, has built a reputation well beyond hip hop by producing for bands like Geese, Weezer, Show Me The Body, and Trash Talk, making him a compelling partner for Curry's genre crossing ambitions.

For Dutch hip hop fans, ii is a release well worth watching out for. Unlocked was widely regarded in 2020 as one of the strongest and most concise rap projects of that year, and the combination of raw sampling, sharp lyricism, and carefully chosen guest artists promises an equally solid listen from its follow up.