Bay Area product ALLBLACK brings it back to the block in the visuals for his new song “Ego” featuring Drakeo the Ruler and Kenny Beats.
Both west coast rappers get into their familiar flows on “Ego,” while the playful Mikey Rare-directed video finds ALLBLACK as a chef who is trying to rap to Drakeo and prove he’s talented. The release of this song and video also comes with the announcement of ALLBLACK’s debut album, TY4FWM.
Standing for “Thank You For Fucking With Me,” TY4FWM looks to be ALLBLACK’s way of saying he’s grateful for where he is, but he has no intentions of stopping now. The debut album finds the Oakland rapper bringing his people with him on the ride to rap riches, with the cover art featuring his community.
“There are people around me who get up every day and work hard without cutting corners,” ALLBLACK said of his Oakland upbringing. “Because of them, I feel like I’ve got to win—we’ve got to win.”
On the 14-track LP, ALLBLACK brings in the lyrically versatile Vince Staples on “We Straight,” the free-flowing vibes of Guapdad 4000 and Rexx Life Raj on “Cleat Check,” and the grittiness of Mozzy and Peezy on “War Stories.” Getting E-40 on the album had to also be a major accomplishment for the Bay Area rapper. As he told Complex in 2019, he grew up listening to west coast legends like 40 and Tupac.
“I listened to them, I listened to Unc [E-40],” he explained. “I knew their songs when they came out, but I was really on ‘90s R&B, classic ‘80s rock… I didn’t know Pac well, but my mama played Pac when I cleaned up, so I knew Pac off that. I just loved music, period. Whatever I was listening to when I was cleaning up or whatever was pumping in my pop’s whip, because my pop had loud speakers. Whatever he was slapping was what I was off of.”
Watch the music video for ALLBLACK’s new song “Ego” up top, and get ready for his debut album TY4FWM featuring Vince Staples, E-40, Drakeo the Ruler, and more, dropping on May 7.
