Fresh off a triumphant set at Coachella, Compton rapper YG is ready for the next phase of his career and a focused new album, which he delayed this month after the passing of close friend and collaborator Nipsey Hussle. In an interview with Billboard, he revealed some of the details behind the recording process, including the album’s title, 4Real 4Real, and its upcoming release date: May 3.
In the interview, YG acknowledged the spacious waits between each of his previous three albums, saying that life often derailed his plans to produce more quickly. “From my first album to my second album, and from my second album to my third album, it took me two years to put out each project,” he said. “That wasn’t my choice. Life was changing: I got shot, I had a daughter. It was crazy — it took a little longer.”
This time around, he didn’t want to let his schedule get upset again, but lie has a way of making us all reevaluate our plans. YG decided to postpone the surprise release of 4Real 4Real when NIpsey Hussle was shot and killed at the end of March, but he’s ready to release the new album, which he calls some of his best, most focused work thanks to his new process of writing songs on his laptop before recording them, rather than freestyling them in the studio.
4Real 4Real is due May 3 through Def Jam Records.
