The past 18 months alone have proven just how adept an incubator Deathbomb Arc is for leftfield hip-hop, as the label that’s overseen releases from clipping. and JPEGMAFIA saw two of its alums—Debby Friday and They Hate Change—ink deals with big-time indies for their hard-hitting debut full-lengths. Riding on their heels is the Chicago rap duo Angry Blackmen, who are announcing their sophomore LP today through Deathbomb with The Legend of ABM scheduled to land January 26. “For us, this album is kinda like our villain origin story, a bedtime story and introduction to those who have and haven’t heard of us yet,” Quentin Branch and Brian Warren share. “Black men have historically been the bogeymen of America, so I think it’s fitting that we tell our own legend.”
And the first single from the record, “Stanley Kubrick,” is the perfect primer for new listeners, as it puts both emcees’ strong suits on full display. Branch and Warren trade dizzyingly fast, shit-talking verses over producer Formants’ minimal industrial beat as the track’s namesake is cited as a cinematic analog to the rappers’ precision. “Lyrically and production-wise, the song brings the listener into a different world,” Branch notes. “Similar to Kubrick, the verse sets up the perfect shot.”
At 11 tracks and 30 minutes, The Legend of ABM also features guest spots from the ever-prolific Fatboi Sharif, as well as fellow Chicago-reared emcee Skech185 and experimental electronic musicians Abbie From Mars and Nordra. Check out the intense parking-garage-set video for the track directed by Jon Le Vert below.
