AJ Tracey has promised “big features” on his upcoming album.
The ‘Ladbroke Grove’ rapper has confirmed that his third album will be released later this year and he has collaborated with those “who sound good on the record”.
Speaking on Capital XTRA, AJ said: “Album’s coming out before the end of the year. Before I was a bit hesitant to say that, because it wasn’t finished. But now it is basically finished.”
Quizzed on what fans should expect from the forthcoming record, he said: “Good features, but I will say that it’s not all about the features. It’s about me, actually. Nah, big up the features though, they killed it, yeah. But obviously, do you get it, the majority of the work is me.
“A few features but they’re curated – I haven’t picked all my bredrins who are the most lit, I’ve just picked people who sound good on the record. So, it’s sonic, you know what I’m saying? At the end of the day – and that’s no shade on no one else – like, the big features, they matter, innit?”
AJ continued: “But I think it’s more about making sure that the sound is cohesive and making sure that when people hear it they’re like, ‘Oh, these lot had fun making this record.’ Like, there’s a meaning behind it, rather than, ‘Oh, they’re both lit and they just kind of…’ You know what I’m saying? Butted heads.”
The 30-year-old rapper explained that the “funky” new LP is inspired by his upbringing in Britain.
He said: “I can give you the theme. The theme is just being British – my British experience – what it means to be British. Me growing up, I listened to funky, so this rhythm is like a little funky reference; grime obviously, dancehall, like, whatever my influences are as a black British person, is going to be what the album sounds like.”