At the end of this month (May 26), Jords will release his landmark album, Dirt In The Diamond, a momentous new project that’s been in the works for some time. We’ve already had a couple of tastes of the new album—“Drill vs Grime” with Lil Sykes and last month’s twofer release, “MoBay” / “Stay Close” with Tay Iwar and Kranium respectively—and now he’s back with another excerpt, “iPray”, which features Wretch 32, Miles From Kinshasa, Mrs Chambers, and production from Kadiata.
Directed by Renee Maria Osubu, the new short film is billed as the second part in the Dirt In The Diamond short film and follows directly on from the scenes in the “MoBay” / “Stay Close” visual. Where “MoBay” / “Stay Close” gave us a look at the Caribbean tradition of Ninenight (an extended wake that takes place before the funeral), the “iPray” video shows us the funeral on the following day.
Speaking on his intentions when writing the track, Jords said: “To me, ‘iPray’ is like Simba’s conversation with Mufasa. Over the last year, I’ve been having conversations about prayer; what prayer actually is, and why we only pray when we need help and not to say thank you. My prayers feel more like diary entries, and to be able to go back and forth exchanging some of my deepest thoughts with Wretch is a blessing and an honour. I’m also glad I got to create this moment with Kadiata and Miles, two people who have been on the journey since SoundCloud.”
Kadiata adds that “producing ‘iPray’ was very simple. I wanted to capture a memorable and heartfelt guitar melody reminiscent of 2000s R&B/pop, which would be fused with a real hip-hop bounce but keeping it current with modern-day drums and 808s. Writing the hook with Jords and Miles was very reflective of the mood of the instrumental.”
Jords has never done anything by halves when it comes to his music, always keen to put together short films and find new ways to present his releases, but this rollout feels like a big step up. And so it should; it’s not just a new album, it’s also the first UK rap release to come out on Motown Records. Historic, to say the least.
While we wait for the May 26 release, dive into the new video above and be sure to add “iPray” to your playlists.
