When Hypebeast spent the day with Ferg last month, the rapper told us DAROLD would be his most vulnerable project yet.
The long-awaited self-titled album has officially landed and finds Ferg not only at his most vulnerable but in his most confident and mature era yet; infused with his signature Harlem braggadocio, DAROLD hears the rapper more sure of himself sonically than ever before, which allows him to explore more introspective elements in his writing.
“I think helping my people is my purpose, and what better way to do that than by using myself and my stories as an example?” Ferg explained his candid approach to the album at the time. “I’m getting – I won’t say older, but I’m getting wiser – and I’ve lived a lot of life. It’s okay to grow up, and that’s what I want to show my community on this album.”
A homage to Harlem, the hometown hero enlists a slew of generational Uptown talent; DD Osama and Bloody Osiris rep for NYC’s youth on the 12-track album’s opener “Light Work,” with Dapper Dan assisting on “Alive :(.”
However, features go beyond New York City’s five boroughs, with Ferg explaining he wanted to tap people who “embody that Harlem energy,” what he describes as “Very alive, super colorful, flamboyant and loud.” Find the full tracklist below.
DAROLD Tracklist
1. Light Work feat. DD Osama, Bloody Osiris, Soul II Soul & The Alumni Ensemble of Harlem
2. Thought I Was Dead
3. Alive 🙁 feat. Dapper Dan
4. Allure feat. Future & Mike WiLL Made-It
5. Demons feat. Denzel Curry
6. Messy
7. French Tips feat. Coco Jones
8. Dead Homies feat. BLK PRL & Elmiene
9. Casting Spells feat. Mary J. Blige
10. Pool feat. Elmiene
11. Chosen feat. Mary J. Blige & Shay Rock
12. DAROLD
“Alive” is a particularly high point, hearing the rapper really reflect on his hardships, over a dual-minded two-part track. “As I get more aware it’s hard to stay engaged / When you notice all your peers ain’t on the same page,” he spits on the second half. “I’m unhappy about music in it’s current state / I’m unhappy about my appetite and my current weight / I’m unhappy about my friends and how they handle certain things / Growing pains make it stressful to go through certain change.”
“I’m coming out for the community [on this album.] I want to create songs for everyone. The grandmas and aunties and uncles, too.”
Stream DAROLD – per Ferg, “Listen all the way through on first listen. It’s designed to be like one long song” – on Spotify and Apple Music now.
