Royce Da 5’9″ and Courtney Bell head into The Matrix in their new visual for “Westside.”
Released on Friday (January 26), the track serves as the lead single to newcomer Bell’s forthcoming mixtape, Microdose. Out March 22, the tape is executive produced by Royce and will feature appearances from the likes of Conway the Machine, Skilla Baby, Black Thought, Symba and more.
“This record for me is a statement, not only for myself but for the Westside of my city of Detroit and everyone that comes from it,” Bell said in a statement. “I was inspired to create something sonically that hasn’t really been heard of for my generation.”
Get into the video below.
In other Royce Da 5’9″ news, he recently gave Kendrick Lamar his flowers in the debut installment of a new series he’s launched on social media.
Early last month, the former Slaughterhouse MC shared a three-minute video montage of K.Dot’s career highlights soundtracked by a remix of “Backseat Freestyle,” which was originally released as part of the Compton native’s good kid, m.A.A.d city.
The post is branded under “Monsters” and is sponsored by the energy drink of the same name. Per the Detroit native’s voiceover, he will be “paying homage to a different monster in the culture” every week.
“I know, I know fanfare is fun, it’s fun to compare, but some people are different,” he begins in the clip. “Who else in culture would you say has superhuman skill or ability and if that made the world better for your own unique experience — somehow better.”
He continues: “With that being said, this week I chose Kendrick Lamar. Why? Because as a[n] artist, he checks every single box. The man is a monster … a monster.”
Despite his immense appreciation for the DAMN. hitmaker, there’s one artist Royce ranks above him. Last year, J. Cole and Dreamville released D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape with DJ Drama, stirring up a buzz in the Hip Hop community.
Soon after its release, the “Cocaine” rapper took to social media to give Cole his flowers as a rapper and executive while saying he’s moved past Drake and Kendrick Lamar in the “Big 3” argument of his generation.
“Ready to talk about EarthGang now? Matter of fact…The WHOLE Dreamville …They ready for the Zombie Apocalypse out this bitch,” he wrote on Twitter.
“Cole as an Executive separates him from that 3 headed monster convo y’all been having for the last 10 yrs… Put some respek on my brother’s name.”
