It’s been – or at least felt like – a truly rapid ascension for Atlanta rapper Grip. For those that have been paying him mind, he’s been underrated since at least 2019’s Snubnose, one of the strongest hip hop projects of its year and arguably, frankly, its decade.
All that changed when he caught Eminem’s ear, who signed him to Shady Records recently.
The process took longer than it appears, as Grip explained to Twenty Infinity: “[Paul Rosenberg] played it for Em and Em was just like, ‘Yo, who the fuck is this? Let’s see what’s up.’ I talked to him a few times and shit. You know all the legal shit, that takes a long time. It was real hard to keep the cat in the bag. I don’t even think I told family members and shit like that.”
Speaking on meeting – not to mention officially joining forces with – Eminem, the young rapper muses excitedly, “It was like a full circle moment, like I literally remember listening to this muthafucka in a walkman with a CD and shit. Playing shit back and studying his cadences and wordplay and shit. Never imagined it.”
Well, that moment he scarcely imagined is nearly here. He’s now announced his Shady Records, and major label, debut, as well as revealing its title: I Died For This!?. We don’t have long to wait, either: it’s due out August 27th.
Beyond that, alas, little is known about the project, but you can check out its artwork below, as well as revisit the project’s first single, “Gutter”.
Update: Grip has now shared the album’s tracklist, and it boasts features from Eminem, Royce da 5’9″, Big Rube, and more. Check it out below, beneath the cover art.
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