Fresh off dropping his latest album release, Fun Summer 17, in June, ILoveMakonnen is set to make at least one more-profile release this year. In a new interview with Rap-Up, the rapper says that he's got a new collaboration dropping next week with none other than Rae Sremmurd.
"This year, I’ve been working on songwriting and producing," said the Atlanta native. "I’ve been working on music with other artists for their projects. I’ve been taking a backseat as an artist, but I have a new song coming out next week with Rae Sremmurd and Mike WiLL Made-It that’s been in the works for some months now." In terms of the delay in getting the track to the public, Makonnen adds: "We just got everything cleared and ready to go, so I should be dropping that officially."
He also admitted that he's been working on a new project, which will include the soon-to-be-released Rae Sremmurd track. He also talked about the process of shaping a new kind of voice in the studio where his new work is concerned and how he's still fielding strong emotions from fans about the old persona he left behind.
"A lot of people say they want the old Makonnen, where my old songs were very meaningful in a different way to them," he said. "That’s because I was able to take my time with them. But I reached a great height of success and there was a call to do music, travel, and just get it. I was like, 'Woah! Let me try this.' But now, I get to go back my roots, how I make music, where concepts come over days and I’ve been thinking about it, observing other people, seeing how it can relate to them, and how it can affect them, rather than just trying to do some quick shit for the moment to get everybody turnt up."
It's a fascinating chat that also sees Makonnen discuss his relationship with Drake, Lil B and why the Black Ken rapper is one of his biggest influences, and also details a recent link-up with Lil Peep.