It’s been about four months since Conway The Machine released a new project (the deluxe version of From King To A God), so it’s just about exactly the right time for him to drop a new one, semi-unannounced. It’s called La Maquina, it’s packed with production from some of hip-hop’s heaviest hitters (Bangladesh, Cardiak, Don Cannon, and The Alchemist all appear on the tracklist), and loaded with unexpected features like the guests “Scatter Brain,” the single Conway shared just moments ago ahead of the full album’s Friday release.
“Scatter Brain,” which is produced by Don Cannon, features skittering, lightspeed verses from ATLiens JID and Ludacris for a cross-generational cipher-style linkup that lets all three lyrical technicians put their full skillsets on display. The beat features blasting 808s, a ghostly chant, and rainfall snares, providing a different sort of backdrop from those longtime Griselda followers may be used to hearing from Conway, but which he rides with ease and grace. Next up, JID weaves a spider web of a verse with interlocking syllables stacking like a waterfall in reverse.
After a reprise from Conway in which he boasts that he “still get a paycheck from Shady” despite rumors he departed the label last year, Ludacris swoops in to bat cleanup, sounding every bit as athletic as he did in his prime over 10 years ago. As a taste teaser of the upcoming full project, it’s beyond an appetizer — it’s the first hit of a highly addictive substance, leaving fans itching for the full course. Fortunately, they won’t have long to wait; La Maquina is due 4/16 via Griselda.
Listen to “Scatter Brain” above.