UNLOCKED is a collaborative album by Florida rapper Denzel Curry and producer Kenny Beats, released on February 7, 2020 via PH Recordings and Loma Vista Recordings. Coming on the heels of two critically acclaimed albums released in the span of just 10 months — Ta13OO and ZUU — Denzel arrives at the start of a new decade with a menacing, concise, and fully focused statement. The record is the product of a manic three-day studio session sparked by Denzel's appearance on Kenny's YouTube freestyle series, The Cave, and finds both artists mining sounds well outside the lanes that first brought them recognition.
Lyrically, Denzel channels the raw energy of Wu-Tang Clan, while Kenny's production draws deep inspiration from the holy trinity of Madlib, J Dilla, and MF DOOM. The album's eight tracks range from furious, futuristic screaming bars to mid-'90s boom-bap snarl, with critics describing it as "a frenetic and saturated endeavor into two minds at the top of their game." Even the tracklist carries an otherworldly energy — on the final day of recording, Kenny opened the project on his computer to find strange symbols and unusual formatting on the track titles, and the pair decided to keep them exactly as they appeared, letting that glitchy aesthetic become part of the album's identity.
The LP was accompanied by a 24-minute companion short film, blending live-action and animated segments — including claymation — with each track represented by its own visually distinct world. Curry drew from childhood influences including Cowboy Bebop, the horror manga Uzumaki, and Gorillaz for the film's visual direction. Available on vinyl in several limited pressings including clear color and lemon yellow marble variants, UNLOCKED is a sharp, thrilling collaboration that sounds like nothing else — a record that honors its influences while pointing boldly toward something new.
UNLOCKED is a collaborative album by Florida rapper Denzel Curry and producer Kenny Beats, released on February 7, 2020 via PH Recordings and Loma Vista Recordings. Coming on the heels of two critically acclaimed albums released in the span of just 10 months — Ta13OO and ZUU — Denzel arrives at the start of a new decade with a menacing, concise, and fully focused statement. The record is the product of a manic three-day studio session sparked by Denzel's appearance on Kenny's YouTube freestyle series, The Cave, and finds both artists mining sounds well outside the lanes that first brought them recognition.
Lyrically, Denzel channels the raw energy of Wu-Tang Clan, while Kenny's production draws deep inspiration from the holy trinity of Madlib, J Dilla, and MF DOOM. The album's eight tracks range from furious, futuristic screaming bars to mid-'90s boom-bap snarl, with critics describing it as "a frenetic and saturated endeavor into two minds at the top of their game." Even the tracklist carries an otherworldly energy — on the final day of recording, Kenny opened the project on his computer to find strange symbols and unusual formatting on the track titles, and the pair decided to keep them exactly as they appeared, letting that glitchy aesthetic become part of the album's identity.
The LP was accompanied by a 24-minute companion short film, blending live-action and animated segments — including claymation — with each track represented by its own visually distinct world. Curry drew from childhood influences including Cowboy Bebop, the horror manga Uzumaki, and Gorillaz for the film's visual direction. Available on vinyl in several limited pressings including clear color and lemon yellow marble variants, UNLOCKED is a sharp, thrilling collaboration that sounds like nothing else — a record that honors its influences while pointing boldly toward something new.
