Groups are becoming rarer in hip-hop, but Flatbush Zombies stayed together as a unit until they struck gold. With only two studio albums to their credit, the Brooklyn three-piece is one of the leading trios of modern hip-hop, second perhaps only to the Migos. It has, however, been five years since Meechy Darko, Erick the Architect, and Zombie Juice put out a full-length album.
The trio dropped the widely successful Vacation in Hell in 2018, followed by the Now, More Than Ever EP two years later. Through it all, the Zombies have been working on solo material while never distinctly stating that the group is over. As a beatmaker, Erick the Architect has collaborated with numerous artists through the years and also contributed bars to multiple joint efforts. The same year as the Zombies’ last studio record, he put out his instrumental package, ARCstrumentals, Vol.2 (The first was released on Soundcloud in 2015). Last year, Meechy Darko dropped his debut tracklist, and it was everything you’d expect from rap’s most vigorous MC — Gothic Luxury is fiery, passionate and crispy.
It’s now time for Zombie #3 to get his first unescorted body of work off the ground.
Though Zombie Juice has released music under his name before and part of projects that aren’t Flatbush Zombies, Love Without Conditions will be his first LP as a solo artist. The album is scheduled to drop on April 21, and its first single is out. Listen to “Hikari” below.
Watch “Hikari” (Music Video)
High-pitched and with a thin voice by default, Zombie Juice has tweaked the vocals on the above song a notch higher, which might make you stop and check if your YouTube settings are sped up. All in all, this isn’t the best first look for a debut album. Still, the track’s subject matter does a lot of the heavy lifting, making up for its confusing sound. In the upcoming release, the rapper explores his personal experiences with abuse and loss, among other dark themes, and “Hikari” gives us a glimpse into the vulnerability Zombie Juice will lean into.
Not too many details about Love Without Conditions have been revealed yet. So far, we have a single and release date; we also know that the record will be distributed by Zombie Juice’s label, Terp World. In the meantime, before it drops, brush up on your Zombie Juice trivia. Whether it’s the Flatbush Zombies mixtapes or his collaborations with the Underachievers and Pro Era, Zombie Juice always offers fans some quality content. To that point, we have every reason to believe the new album is one worth anticipating.
