Yasiin Bey has teamed up with Chicago journalist and producer Ferrari Shepard as the duo Dec. 99th. The duo has now released its fourth track, "Hymn," following "Local Time," "Tall Sleeves," and "N.A.W.," all released within the past few months. "Hymn" premiered today as a Tidal exclusive.
On "Hymn," Yasiin exercises a flow that's somewhere between rapping and spoken word, but his tempo and calm delivery are well-suited to Shepard's minimally funky production, which stays smooth throughout despite occasional hints of impending chaos. The content is relatively abstruse upon first listen, but there are many lyrics that feel especially profound, such as "This is what death don't kill: Life," which seems to be the song's defining message.
To coincide with the release of "Hymn," Yasiin issued the following statement: "Condolences to the families of the slain. Never stop pursuing freedom."
Quotable Lyrics
This episode by burn in hell productions
Always doin' the most at doin' nothin'
Hate the bait champ, believe what you wanna
The block was hot was before the first day of summer