Denzel Curry and Kenneth Blume push each other harder than ever on ii, making for a project much less ephemeral than their last on all fronts
Release date: August 21, 2026 | Loma Vista Recordings | Denzel Curry Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Twitter | Kenneth Blume Twitter | Instagram | Stream/Purchase
Freestyle rap is a real alluring aspect of hip-hop. Whether the rapper is spitting a written verse on a beat or a cappella, or doing a ‘true’ freestyle off the dome with bars and flows assembled on the spot, it’s great to see them enter a pocket or even completely spite the art because, well, not all rappers are down with being told to rap on command. I get it. When Denzel Curry is having a blast with his art, this is the kind of fun modality it takes on. We saw this earlier this year with The Scythe, his new project with pals TiaCorine, Bktherula, Key Nyata, FERG, and more, but it was also quite apparent on his link-up with Kenneth Blume, FKA Kenny Beats, UNLOCKED back in 2020.
It was good enough that it begged for a follow-up, especially when you factor in that the loose story orbiting the album’s events via its short film were left unfinished. Well, it’s here, announced a mere week ago, but telegraphed by Denzel months ago before the release of The Scythe‘s project that a second album was on the way in 2026. Simply called ii, it can be read as a semi-direct UNLOCKED sequel, sure, but the more important part is that it sees two consummate artists come back together in different head spaces and with skills expanded upon to have some more fun.
Just like with UNLOCKED, Denzel’s brand of lyricism is more grounded than his grander projects on ii. He’s here to talk massive amounts of shit, stake claims, sing along to samples, and make a record (literally and figuratively) of his station in life right now. Well into his 30s now, grown-up Denzel is still on vacation. It’s not that ii is immature, songs like “PRODUCT” that reckon with being the blueprint for kids from the hood finding success kick that notion in the shins, but it’s also clear that he’s trying to enjoy where he’s at. No worries, no qualms, no inhibitions, at least on the surface.
And who better to do that with than his pal Kenneth Blume who has blown the hell up as an in-demand producer, working with post-punkers IDLES, art rockers Geese, and, releasing the same day as ii, an album with Weezer? The fuck is going on? He’s been a busy dude, but somewhere along the way and now under his birth name, Kenneth has embiggened his repertoire to a tough degree. Actually, I’ll be honest, as much as I love Denzel and his rapping, the beats on ii really shine brightly, enough to pull attention from the vocals here and there with sample-heavy density and crisp percussion. His precise ear for vibes shows why so many bands and artists are falling over themselves to work with him. Opener “GONE FISHING” sounds like something MF DOOM would’ve rapped on in the 2000s with its fervent guitar squeals and aged tonality.
Denzel brought friends too. On “EVIL GRIN”, we get a feature from the king of experimental rap himself, JPEGMAFIA, who has really, really enjoyed skirting controversy and becoming insufferable to some this year in a way not seen since Ye… happened. His verse is trademark Peggy – ‘Bitch it’s Peggy Chapo, tell a bitch bring that guapo pronto/I ain’t just whipping up shit to shock you, this shit here is gospel/I ain’t even got no fans, I drink Kool-Aid with my apostles‘. He’s best the more cartoonishly outlandish he gets because Denzel is much more grounded, but he pulls it off with lines like ‘Hoe, it’s the five-nine bandit, hop off the porch, let’s box with God‘. Surprisingly, but coolly, we see Westside Gunn on ii who stamps the song “CROWN” with excellence that only he can with virulent grit and opulence won by moving hella weight (allegedly).
You know, now that I think about it more, even though ii has the air of a more laid-back project veiled in fun, there is a lot on Denzel’s mind. He revels in his success on “COLD NIGHT IN HELL”, but he also reckons with the upkeep of legacy and the next move. I love the lyrical reference to his dad Ricky, dropping more passed-down knowledge in bar form. In a promotional video for ii embedded above, both artists philosophize about goals, the nature of legacy, of the victors drafting the annals of history, and highlighting how success and legacy aren’t necessarily linked with Denzel stating as example, ‘DOOM never won a Grammy, but he’s a legend, right?‘ So I must retract what I said earlier about grown-up Denzel being on vacation – he’s very much at the wheel and thinking of what’s next as most of us do in our 30s.
There’s only one stone cold disappointing thing about ii and it’s Denzel’s bewildering use of the word ‘maricón‘ in “CANDLELIGHT”. For those that don’t know, in much of the Latin and Hispanic world, it’s a slur pretty similar to ‘fag(got)’ in English. It does have a slightly kinder, more contemporary meaning for someone who cries a lot or is seen as weak, akin to ‘pussy’ or ‘pansy’ in English, but dude is from the Miami area, I’m certain he’s aware of the harsher meaning. The context in which it’s delivered – ‘Speaking to you heathens and you legions of maricóns/Don’t follow commandments, but got a pocket full of stones‘ – doesn’t do it much favor either. I’m not even offended, it’s just unfortunate. For once, I’m willing to give Denzel the rare benefit of the doubt because he’s never been one to fall into the tired-ass homophobic trappings like many of his peers over the years, not to mention he does work with many openly queer artists, but that’s obviously not a shield from criticism like this. I hope this is the last time I have to address something like this with Denzel because he seems like a reflective, standup dude that just likes to talk mad shit.
ii still exudes a presence of mind that was honestly a little unexpected for a project of this magnitude, but let’s be fair: Denzel Curry‘s always been a thinking man, even from a younger age since his circumstances demanded he mature at a greater rate than the usual youth. Kenneth Blume complements those sensibilities with ridiculous bounce and classically-tuned smoothness, though fuck him for putting that doorbell sound in “UPS”, I always think it’s my own doorbell. It’s great to see these two back at it, just as Rico Nasty and Blume reunited for a full project last month as well. These two are just some of the most versatile artists to do it, and now Denzel’s talking about doing a hardcore project? Dude is far from done establishing his legacy.
