Rakaa - Crown of Thorns

With the release of the Dilated Peoples member’s first solo full-length on the horizon, you’d think Rakaa Iriscience would be feeling on top of the world (if a little nervous, maybe). Apparently, you’d be wrong. Rather than patting himself on the back and taking a well-deserved victory lap, the Los Angeles mainstay slips on his Crown of Thorns and invites us to join him in his darkest hour on the LP’s newly-leaked title track. Over a synth-sizzling, Sid Roams-produced beat that positively drips with foreboding, the artist spits three verses packed with somber reflections on life, the streets and the music game. Though the overall mood is brooding, Rakaa ends on an affirmative note: “F*ck the rumors, Dilated got it on lock still.” I Need a Dollar singer Aloe Blacc echoes the headliner’s steely resolve on the chorus, crooning “I never thought that life was gonna be this way, but every battle I fight makes me stronger every day.” Fans of Rakaa can find this cathartic banger and, presumably, some lighter fare on his debut solo set, scheduled to hit stores and online retailers July 20, via Decon Records.