Black Milk Ft. BJ The Chicago Kid – If U Say

Blending genres and moods with his rich soundscapes, Detroit multi-hyphenate Black Milk virtuosically pushes the boundaries of hip-hop without losing sight of its rich tradition. Returning to the fold with a forward-looking artistic statement, Black Milk announces DiVE, his upcoming EP. Continuing the sonic experimentation and politically-charged atmosphere of his 2018 album FEVER, DiVE finds Black Milk with an eye on the future, contemplating the next decade with equal parts hope and trepidation.

Recruiting a group of ace session musicians from his hometown, Black Milk fine-tunes his incendiary blend of rock, funk, rap, soul, and electronic, which can switch from hard-charging to smooth to ethereal at the drop of a hat. Spanning 11-tracks, the EP flows from front-to-back with seamless transitions, mimicking the free-wheeling creativity of the album’s author. With vocal contributions from BJ The Chicago Kid, Detroit artist Sam Austins, and Black’s younger brother MAHD, DiVE arrives on August 2nd via Mass Appeal Records/Computer Ugly.

“DiVE represents me looking ahead at 2020,” Black shares. “Stepping into this new decade, I want to have a mentality of progression. Once 2020 clicks in, I want to leave a lot of my old ways, traditions, and mentalities behind. I’m always going to have my standard and aesthetic. That’s why I’m not really afraid to step outside of any box because my taste will always keep me grounded.”

To accompany the announcement of the EP, Black Milk shares “If U Say” ft. BJ The Chicago Kid, the project’s lead single. A lush, R&B-flavored track with stuttering breakbeats, “If U Say ft. BJ The Chicago Kid” finds Black Milk and BJ attempting to reconcile their past, present, and future selves, in the context of a rapidly changing, nearly unrecognizable Midwest. Rhymes Black Milk: “While my old hood’s boarded up and abandoned/Damn, everything from before seems gone now/So, I put the memories in a song now/With a melody they can sing along now.” Layering soulful harmonies and ad-libs on top of one another on the chorus, BJ keeps his head up, powering through the hard times with hope for a prosperous future.