IDK releases the collaborative album "Simple." with Kaytranada
Maryland rapper IDK has returned with his highly anticipated third album "Simple." produced entirely by Grammy Award-winning artist Kaytranada and featuring collaborations with Mike Dimes and Denzel Curry.
The 8-track album title refers to a neighborhood called "Simple City" in southeast Washington, D.C. Explaining how it got the name, IDK disclosed "It gets its name because you can get killed for any simple reason. Simple City is also the birthplace of Marvin Gaye. I wanted to tell the story of Simple City in a way that it's never been told before. From drug abuse to crime and murder, I wanted to cover what it feels like to be from Simple City and teach the world that the fix to helping disadvantaged Black communities isn't as simple as you think. The way people view our mentalities is a straightforward thing. There's a lot of depth, and it should be handled with care. I wanted to create a project where people can dance to real shit."
On "Simple.", Candian producer Kaytranada (who has worked with the likes of Snoop Dogg, Pharrell, Mary J. Blige and The Internet) brings his trademark infectious grooves and ethereal beats, the perfect accompaniment for IDK's remarkable flow and lyricism. The album is also produced in an interesting loop, with the last track perfectly blending into the first, making the story repeat again.
Regarding the idealogy behind his work, IDK revealed "The most important thing for me is I'm an example of success for a lot of people. Even when I feel like I have more work to do, there are a lot of people who would die to be in the position that I'm in. So, my idea is to show them that I'm here, I'm close, and I'm within reach. And then using my platform to create an environment for them to be able to dream and think about things that they want to become, and to not feel like it's not possible."
Here is the "Simple." tracklist:
1. Drugstore
2. Southeast to Paris
3. Dog Food featuring Denzel Curry
4. Zaza Tree
5. Breathe
6. Taco
7. The Code featuring Mike Dimes
8. Paris to Southeast
You can listen to "Simple." by IDK here:
You can also watch the video for the latest single from the album "Dog Food" featuring Denzel Curry below: