Lil B hasn’t released a new solo mixtape in over a year-and-a-half: an eternity for a man who was once contemporary hip-hop’s most prolific artist. Today, his long-awaited followup to 2015’s Thugged Out Pissed Off has gone live: the Black Ken project. It was initially released, apparently without Lil B’s consent, via DatPiff on Wednesday, but is now out on iTunes/Apple Music as intended.
At a mere 27 tracks, it’s actually fairly lean by the standards of some Lil B releases. The music is stripped-down, channeling a heavy ’80s/early ’90s gangsta rap influence while still featuring some classic-era Lil B post-hyphy stylings (check out his snarling Keak da Sneak impression on “Getting Hot”). It’s also light on his traditional Based Freestyles, favoring tighter verses and song forms. It does, however, integrate some skits. The sole guest on the tape? ILoveMakonnen. Listen below, and purchase it here.
