Malibu Ken arrives on January 18th.
Portland-based rapper Aesop Rock and Black Moth Super Rainbow head honcho Tobacco have joined forces for a new collaborative project. The pair’s debut album Malibu Ken is set to arrive on January 18th via Rhymesayers.
With the introduction to Malibu Ken comes ‘Acid King’, a 3 minute hallucinatory trip of stitch-inducing wordplay juxtaposed against squelching and gooey analog synthesizers.
Hear the album’s first single and watch the Rob Shaw-animated video – which depicts Malibu Ken rapping as his face melts – below.
Whilst a collaboration between the underground rap veteran and acid-soaked synth fetishist may seem like an unlikely pairing upon first glance, foundations were set for the project over ten years ago as Rock featured on Tobacco’s debut solo effort Fucked Up Friends in 2008 and toured alongside the Tobacco-fronted Black Moth Super Rainbow during the previous year.
Discussing their Malibu Ken project, Rock said the following
“TOBACCO and I have thrown around the idea of doing a project together since we first toured over a decade ago. I find his production to be something special, and always wanted to see what I could bring to it. We recently found time to record some songs, and Malibu Ken was born. I brought a few stories to the table, but also did my best to let the production dictate the subject matter throughout. We hope you like the soup.”
Malibu Ken tracklist:
1. Corn Maze
2. Tuesday
3. Save Our Ship
4. Sword Box
5. Dog Years
6. Acid King
7. Suicide Big Gulp
8. 1+1=13
9. Churro
10. Purple Moss
Malibu Ken releases on January 18th via Rhymesayers. Pre-order the album and various bundles (including a blue vinyl LP that comes complete with wearable mask) here.
Words by Sam Wilkinson.
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