The last few years were quiet ones for New York rapper Belly after he released his Roc Nation debut Immigrant (renamed from Midnight Zone) in 2018. However, while he wasn’t releasing music for the last two years, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t working on it. Today, he made his long-awaited return to the spotlight with two new singles, “Money on the Table” featuring Benny The Butcher and “IYKYK.” Both singles support the upcoming release of Belly’s third studio album See You Next Wednesday.
While the former track finds both Belly and Benny in their typical boastful modes, “IYKYK” is a more vulnerable and introspective song, on which Belly admits to feeling “neurotic” and addresses the pressures of life. The tone’s consistent with his recent social media messaging, with which he shares his struggles with his health, both mental and physical. A press release for the new singles promises that his upcoming album, named in honor of filmmaker John Landis, will contain similar content, while the singles themselves show Belly hasn’t lost a step and remains as lyrically sharp as ever.
That pen game served him well in 2020; he helped co-write his XO Records label boss The Weeknd’s hit single “Blinding Lights,” which spent 56 weeks on the Billboard Top 10 songs chart. Stay tuned for him to complete his comeback with See You Next Wednesday, due later this year on XO/Republic.
Listen to “Money On The Table” and “IYKYK” above.