Philadelphia-based producer RJD2 has been laying rather low since 2013's More Than Isn't, but that's about to change. The artist born Ramble Jon Krohn is taking up his moniker once again to deliver a new album titled Dame Fortune. The 12-song set is due out on March 25 through RJD2's own Electrical Connections.
The album was recorded in Philadelphia, and the city's influence permeates the new material.
"Living in Philly provided a context for a lot of soul music that I had liked," RJD2 said in a press release. "I didn't have any cultural context for this music that I liked — it was just music that I had stumbled across as a beat making nerd. Philly was a place where there were enough people who had the same musical vocabulary that I did, which made the music more than something I had just discovered on my own."
Perhaps it was that feeling of musical kinship that set the record's collaborations in motion, and there are a number of guest appearances to look forward to. Jordan Brown, Son Little, Phonte Coleman, Blueprint and Josh Krajcik round out the list of featured artists, with Brown sharing the spotlight on the album's lead single "Peace of What."
The singer's smooth croon is reminiscent of a vintage soul sound, while RJD2 himself drew inspiration from '90s rap act Main Source's 1991 track "Peace Is Not the Word to Play."
"When I hear people talk of peace in America, the discrepancy between our words and our actions can get fatiguing," the producer explained. "I was trying to reflect the experience of people I know, which often feels like 'We're not ACTUALLY trying to do anything about this problem in our country.'"
You can hear the meaning and the music come together by hitting play and listening to "Peace of What" below. RJD2 also has several U.S. dates slated for this year. You can see those below as well.
Dame Fortune:
1. A Portal Inward
2. The Roaming Hoard
3. Peace of What (ft. Jordan Brown)
4. The Sheboygan Left
5. A New Theory
6. We Come Alive (ft. Son Little)
7. PF, Day One
8. Saboteur (ft. Phonte Coleman)
9. Your Nostalgic Heart and Lung
10. Up In The Clouds (ft. Blueprint)
11. Band of Matron Saints (ft. Josh Krajcik)
12. Portals Outward
Tour dates:
01/12 Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Bowl
01/13 Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Bowl
01/30 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
02/20 Austin, TX - Empire Garage
02/27 Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls Theatre
03/11 Lancaster, PA - Chameleon Club
04/08 Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom
04/09 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
04/29 Chicago, IL - Metro
05/28 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
05/29 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
The album was recorded in Philadelphia, and the city's influence permeates the new material.
"Living in Philly provided a context for a lot of soul music that I had liked," RJD2 said in a press release. "I didn't have any cultural context for this music that I liked — it was just music that I had stumbled across as a beat making nerd. Philly was a place where there were enough people who had the same musical vocabulary that I did, which made the music more than something I had just discovered on my own."
Perhaps it was that feeling of musical kinship that set the record's collaborations in motion, and there are a number of guest appearances to look forward to. Jordan Brown, Son Little, Phonte Coleman, Blueprint and Josh Krajcik round out the list of featured artists, with Brown sharing the spotlight on the album's lead single "Peace of What."
The singer's smooth croon is reminiscent of a vintage soul sound, while RJD2 himself drew inspiration from '90s rap act Main Source's 1991 track "Peace Is Not the Word to Play."
"When I hear people talk of peace in America, the discrepancy between our words and our actions can get fatiguing," the producer explained. "I was trying to reflect the experience of people I know, which often feels like 'We're not ACTUALLY trying to do anything about this problem in our country.'"
You can hear the meaning and the music come together by hitting play and listening to "Peace of What" below. RJD2 also has several U.S. dates slated for this year. You can see those below as well.
Dame Fortune:
1. A Portal Inward
2. The Roaming Hoard
3. Peace of What (ft. Jordan Brown)
4. The Sheboygan Left
5. A New Theory
6. We Come Alive (ft. Son Little)
7. PF, Day One
8. Saboteur (ft. Phonte Coleman)
9. Your Nostalgic Heart and Lung
10. Up In The Clouds (ft. Blueprint)
11. Band of Matron Saints (ft. Josh Krajcik)
12. Portals Outward
Tour dates:
01/12 Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Bowl
01/13 Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Bowl
01/30 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
02/20 Austin, TX - Empire Garage
02/27 Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls Theatre
03/11 Lancaster, PA - Chameleon Club
04/08 Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom
04/09 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
04/29 Chicago, IL - Metro
05/28 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
05/29 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club