The New England native delivers sonically driven bars on the thrilling single, showcasing his versatility. In his latest song, Joyner fact-checks Google regarding his net worth while living the bachelor life and amassing millions.
Not Now, I’m Busy, his upcoming album, will be Joyner’s first in three years. His most recent album, ADHD, debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, received RIAA gold certification, ignited a debate about mental health that was much needed, and created a new model for success that independent musicians could use as a guide.
Joyner Lucas has returned with his new single, “Blackout,” featuring Future. The single is the introduction to his forthcoming new album, Not Now, I’m Busy.
In “Blackout,” Joyner delivers ferocious words and displays his quick flow. In the song, he raps about his desire to become a billionaire and level up to lead an opulent lifestyle. Future adds his own flavor to the song when the tempo changes as he brags about his toxicity.
Not Now, I’m Busy will be Joyner’s first album in three years. Also, this year, Lucas will have his acting debut alongside Mark Wahlberg in a movie that will drop in 2023-24.
Last month, Joyner Lucas released the first single from his upcoming album, Not Now, I’m Busy. The emotional track, “Devil’s Work 2,” saw the rapper speaking on recent losses, like the murder of PnB Rock. Joyner treats the song as a conversation with God, asking the hard questions about death and telling Him that it seems like He doesn’t care. It provides a bird’s eye view of the culture at large, as well as a wish to undo the trauma experienced within it. The track was a powerful start to the new record.
Now, Joyner has released the second single from his upcoming album. The new effort is titled “Blackout,” and Joyner has enlisted Future as a featured artist. At just over 3 minutes, the track is slick and catchy. Lyrically, both the Massachusetts native and Hendrix speak on coming up and the rap lifestyle. It serves as a reminder of Joyner’s versatility. He’s no stranger to hard-hitting trap songs, but the difference between this and the 34-year-old’s last offering shows his ability to speak on a wide range of topics and do it well. He’s definitely not a one-trick pony.
Joyner And Future Are The Perfect Duo
“Blackout” opens with the hard-hitting kicks, claps, and hi-hats typical of trap songs. Behind them, a descending harp repeats, providing an atmospheric and dramatic background for Joyner to start rapping over. His flow sounds right at home over the beat. Halfway through the track, Future comes in for his verse. His tone melds perfectly with Joyner’s. Keen to show off their flexibility, both rappers switch up the flow several times throughout the song. It may not have the lyrical depth of “Devil’s Work 2,” but it’s definitely the kind of track you want to play on repeat.
“Blackout” is the fourth track on Joyner’s Now Now, I’m Busy. Since the album is due to be released on August 18, it’s safe to say we can expect a few more singles from the album before it gets released in full. If the first two arrivals are anything to go off of, the album might be the lyricist’s best work yet. You can stream the new single on YouTube above. Let us know what you think in the comments!
Quotable Lyrics:
Watch me take some bricks and soap and turn it to a bankroll Used to wanna get rich like Hov, until I met Jeff Bezos Billionaire invites, that’s the shit that you can’t pay for Levelled up and made some pesos, now your bitch wanna give me besos First to do it, bitch, I’m Draco If you want that drama, you gon’ get just what you paid for ‘Fore I got a check, I went and bought my mom a Range Rover Wasn’t new, but it was paid for, I said “One day, we’ll be straight though”
Joyner Lucas has dropped his new song, “Devil’s Work Part 2.” In the song, Joyner imagines a world in which he can put an end to catastrophes in pop culture, societal injustice, and celebrity deaths. He raps about altering history and stopping Will Smith from slapping Chris Rock, Kobe Bryant from boarding a helicopter in January 2020, and Brittney Griner’s situation in Russia. He also raps about reversing Pop Smoke’s and PnB Rock’s deaths and keeping 6ix9ine behind bars.
At one point, Joyner criticizes Candace Owens, a political analyst, for her remarks regarding the cause of George Floyd’s demise. “Maybe they should trade places so she can see how it feels,” he raps.
The original “Devil’s Work” Single reflected on the deaths of Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G., XXXTentacion, Nipsey Hussle, Trayvon Martin and others, while asking God to bring them back in exchange for the lives of George Zimmerman, Donald Trump, Martin Shkreli, Tomi Lahren and more.
Joyner enthralled his fans earlier this week when he revealed the cover art and announced that his new studio album, Not Now, I’m Busy, would be released. The album, which will be Joyner’s first in three years, debuted in the Top-10 of the Billboard 200, received RIAA gold certification, generated a debate about mental health that was desperately needed, and created a new model for success that independent artists could use.
Joyner Lucascertainly isn’t coming to play with his first single of 2023. This New Music Friday (March 10), the clever lyricist made a bold return with “Devil’s Work 2,” a follow-up to his 2020 track of the same name. Throughout the five-minute-long song, the 34-year-old reflects on some major losses the culture has faced in recent years, from Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna’s tragic deaths to the untimely murder of PnB Rock in Los Angeles a few months ago.
While promoting the song in an interview with Billboard, Lucas explained, “We all have heroes, and we never want to see them suffer.” He later added, “As a culture, we all wish that we could turn back time and reverse events that traumatized us, so I wanted to take that concept and share it in my own creative way.” Thus far, the Massachusets native appears to be receiving the positive and impactful reaction he was searching for.
Joyner Lucas Reflects on the Culture’s Recent Losses in “Devil’s Work 2” Visual
Aside from the tragic losses we’ve faced, Lucas also rhymes about some major pop culture moments. Among them are Chris Rock and Will Smith’s infamous “Slapgate,” as well as the lengthy stint Brittany Grinner spent in a Russian prison for most of 2022. Additionally, he called Candace Owens a “bitch,” calling her out over her The Greatest Lie Ever Told documentary, which attempted to twist the death of George Floyd at the hands of police into a story about a Black man’s drug overdose.
“Lord, forgive me for my language and these bad words / But that Candace Owens bitch get on my last nerve,” he angrily expresses. “How you gon’ tell me that what we witnessed on TV wasn’t murder when we watched n*ggas turn his ass into Casper? / George died from asphyxiation and that’s a factor / Fentanyl or not, he’d had never died and his last words were, ‘I cannot breathe’ / So really she gotta chill or maybe they should trade places so she could see how it feel.”
The insightful single is due to appear on Not Now, I’m Busy, Joyner Lucas’ forthcoming album. Earlier this week he unveiled the artwork, generating plenty of excitement amongst his fans. Stream “Devil’s Work 2” on Spotify or Apple Music below. Afterward, tell us your thoughts on the emotionally loaded track in the comments. Make sure to check back later this weekend for more release recommendations on our Fire Emoji playlist update.
Quotable Lyrics:
But Lord, listen, this shit urkin’ me How You take PNB? That shit absurd to me So many questions ’bout that shit and it’s disturbin’ me Like n*ggas can’t eat waffles without security? And n*ggas can’t work hard and go buy some jewelry? That one hurt to see
