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MALIK RUFF

by Quadry

supported by
Knut Martin D. S.
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Knut Martin D. S. Love this album. Great atmosphere and vocals.
Andrew Jervis
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Andrew Jervis Digging this laidback hazy hip hop hybrid. Wicked debut! Favorite track: Momma (feat. Teo Halm).
sweezy
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sweezy A excellent album that conjures up memories of Outkast and Earthgang, Quadry paints an immensely personal portrait with an interesting and diverse soundscape and poignant bars. Favorite track: Motion/Settle (feat. BoyBoy, Tev'n & Anjelihs).
Musicccc
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Musicccc Great album ! Love the vibe of it and we don't see that style often in the mainstream Favorite track: Bluegrass.
Brendan
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Brendan an absolute gem of an album and a late entry into my favorites albums of the year. Favorite track: Hot Headed.
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1.
I’ve been driving on this road- I saw three seasons here I feel like I’m gonna fail, but I wonder if you’d still be here Loyalty is in our skin Do you question that at all? My life is almost like a Girl I just wanna love you I just really wanna live my life… Pink sands and horizons My future bright islands Tight getting out my head Time feeling right Night feeling quite young I’m feeling quite done It’s just me and my niggas talkin’ to ya ma So are you a thought you should know Got out and spoke, taught ‘em how to row It was beautiful enemy of my friend In the field over here shawty, enemy on my end Last night, mad real Hennessey, crushed advil Hit the gas with the right one, zig-zag on my right lung Airbag, still speedin’ Got a pass, don’t need it Hollaback, don’t leave me Four, five, nothin’ like interstate 10 I’m in Left and right back Right back, left again Had to pack my shit up Long nights never end On the ground, won’t give up So afraid, I won’t live up to who I really am- Or be gone before I can I don’t wana wait here forever When’s it gonna start getting better? I’m feining for a change, never settle On to the next, it’s whatever Drawing circles in the sun Pardon, on the run Hard to be problem-free Constantly arguing over cron Getting colder while I stay Tryna be out the way We just wana feel safe so you know we got Everybody thinks the same thing Everybody thinks the same thing Can’t tell if they’re sheep or crabs Everybody thinks the same thing I don’t wana wait here forever When’s it gonna start getting better? I’m feining for a change, never settle On to the next, it’s whatever
2.
Bluegrass 03:57
BBQ, blue stone Cornbread, collard greens Bad bitches, red bones All these other things Mississippi River Banks In the bricks after band practice Hot, humid, Summer day Black girls in their sundresses Oh no, no, no, nooooo Hell nah it’s not sweet Couple blocks down the street, end up on 73 Somebody got killed last week Seem like every other day When night falls it feels safe We smoking in the palisades Some strains OG Young with old stress Friends dead before 23 Day 1’s get the short ends Dead man walkin, use the two step Show me the chart, so who’s next? Rollin’ then I, then I... 1, 2 Solo then I want you, want you Ain’t no clouds in the sky Rollin up Getting high I’m from where the air gets still Just pick a weekday Gunpowder, power that kills Go off the deep end Opportunity knocking this year, I couldn’t sleep well Really, I don’t care what you think That don’t mean I can’t feel You ain’t been through the wild, that don’t mean it ain’t real It’s a war outside, outside men killed Take a dive, steal the vibe, guess the fall is a thrill I’m in awe, in the mirror at myself, I can feel Lay back, stack 20 layers, wrap that back louis ears I shift back with the pen, before I’m real with myself Rollin’ then I, then I... 1, 2 Solo then I want you, want you Ain’t no clouds in the sky Rollin up Getting high X2 Talkin on my line Sittin’ Indian style Running from the Don, those were simpler times I fantasized about being on, being content with your life We supposed to grow apart but I’ll stick by your side Things are common, get demolished when I leave and come back You a whole other person, I evolved into that Wings flap, rose to the public I put my coat in the back So sorry for the startle, I can’t hide who I am Where we park? Harass the valet Snatch the keys, the walkie-talkie, we argued after I just need some space, your timing been off I feel the warm embrace because on the real, it’s really changed I’m scared you’ll run away I feel fake, my life plastic Fuck it I done had it I tried to pump the brakes Slidin’ in the rain It’s burnin’ my skin like acid, it ain’t the same
3.
Louis 02:35
I need two, watchu know? I need two, how that go? x4 I need two on me, I need you on me I got two rollin’, we got two smokin’ Pull up, crawl out, waddup I’m with two homies They got two, paper view showin’ I’m in new clothin’, yeah I’m too focused Bobby Booshay, got the juice on me Mikey love ballin’, stacked a cup and swished it Jay he cracked a sticky, jolly ranchers at the bottom Innerstate, through the trees, can’t even see straight Dilate, back it up, shake it up, vibrate Annihilate, I can’t wait I’m on my time Occupying my line, compelling me to decline I need two, watchu know? I need two, how that go? x8 Caesars Palace with the moon ceiling Out the window, it’s a new feeling Levitating on that Holy Water with the green in it, like I’m really Venus Steady schemin’ on the low though Me slippin’ is a no go Runnin’ with horses and duckin’ with forces, watch out for the beast on the logo That’s why I keep two on me now Hot rod, I need two to hold me down I might catch a case and go to trial Outside, shimmy outside I need two, watchu know? I need two, how that go? x8
4.
1:04 PM 02:10
Tell me what’s the difference between a nigga and a man? I’ll wait Maybe one has the chance to make a change if he can, touche But we ride Benz though, got white friends though Got a little change in the bank, donate couple birds from the place that we came on holidays, oh yeah But is this shit enough? From the looks it don’t seem so We done had Martin, had Malcolm, had Michael, had Jay, in the hood- still dreamin’ Wana be a baller, and a one shot caller But really can you blame him? Niggas came from the bottom I’ve been thinkin’ All that thinkin’, got me smokin’, drinkin’ I’ve been singin’, get fresh Step out with my people, oh yeah Then we ride out Baby hide out with us Then we vibe out Baby hop out with us On my couch, at my house Talkin’ bout diamond rings Summer night, parents out Air it out, something’s changed Yeah I can feel it from a distance But I can’t hear it in your eyes I knew you just came through to kick it It was something different when you arrived Tell me what’s the difference between a dream and a plan? It’s 5am with a blunt rolled Just wrote one song Don’t like it, do it again Packed clothes, back door Left note, I’m gone I board, middle row Lift off, back home Got me thinkin’ All that thinkin’, got me smokin’, drinkin’ I’ve been singin’, get fresh Step out with my people, oh yeah Then we ride out Baby hide out with us Then we vibe out Baby hop out with us
5.
We be swappin’ our energy, we tapped danced and got up Slept with the enemy, we not givin’ a fuck I mean silly me, Hennessy got me runnin’ ‘em up You see it really be anything brown that be chargin’ me up The piece, the part that I love I keep talkin’ you up But we startin’ to chill, the weed sparkin’, I’m feelin’ a deep torment We move at the speed like You part of me, think about you when I’m way cross the country Ain’t hard on me I’m ‘round Booku weed and bitches It’s something, you got over it Called a quits before it turned into somethin’ Was through a text, was off the drip Was thinkin’ “That’s how you feel?” Until your basement steamin’, like a water heater, It’s me Sweet cause you followed your heart Bitter it wasn’t me Ain’t wrong for the player you choose Learned that from Pimp C Things change Tryna be grown Forgot the rules, don’t be a lame You know the game and how it goes Sittin’ at the top of the mountain spinnin’’ and thinkin’ Thinkin’ ‘bout this particular girl hard like cement I’ve been on a ride, switchin’ lanes on ya Sittin’ at the top of the mountain spinnin’’ and thinkin’ Thinkin’ ‘bout this particular girl hard like cement Swing on her, swing right by Yeah baby you can fly right by If you see me with a smile, come with me- you know I’m stressed Lies of well being, Even a mess, my time precious in fact My pockets be fat, that’s called per diem taught me that Also the kind that break past They go on the 96 jack, trick question- they ain’t gone none Talkin’ bout a lump sum Ridin’ bump to bumper with my commas down You know we whippin’ foreigns You know the women local Big booty, tongue long We laughin’ and we smokin’, ride off in the sunset Bumpin’ Boosie old shit Switch it up to Pink Floyd Now we really floatin’ Sittin’ at the top of the mountain spinnin’’ and thinkin’ Thinkin’ ‘bout this particular girl hard like cement Swing on her, swing right by x2
6.
Money on my mind Green in my eyes Stop ‘em like where you get them bitches from? Cop ‘em in the mall, ain’t gone tell you which mall Bro you a hoe, yeah I know Fuck it Christmas coming, and my bday- we out Got a couple hunnid if I need a way out But ima blow it on some cheeks Blow them niggas out the streets Sneak a war like battleships 12 get behind me Wonder if I’m gone live, woah The Summer’s comin in I feel the breeze on my skin As memories turn to an end We get high, then we do it again Then we do it again Red with the white stripes, I think I’m tefflon Shell toe, GPS- I need a redbone My life, raw, uncut- no need for step on Stepped on, Bets off, levitating all up in the hallway Shawty dead wrong, asked me about them bitches on Friday & Monday He was gone, ran to the beasts on the highway Pickin’ up the pieces, tears slappin’ on the cement Least she get a decent settlement, her son breathing sediment He was loaned cash and seen his way out Headed to the mall, that’s a way to go out The Summer’s comin in I feel the breeze on my skin As memories turn to an end We get high, then we do it again Then we do it again X2
7.
Pirelli 02:18
8.
Hot Headed 03:21
9.
10.
11.
24/7 03:27
12.
13.

about

Malik Ruff is Quadry’s biggest statement and his most intimate work. It’s an experimental Southern rap album that’s also a contemplative dance record. It’s a portrait of young black life in Baton Rouge, but anyone should be able to relate. It’s the hip-hop LP snuck into a neo-soul night. It’s the indie-rock record in Prince’s collection. Who is Malik Ruff? He’s Quadry, but a metaphor, a character. Who’s Quadry?

Quadry Winters, 23, started rapping before his years hit double digits. It might have been dreams of jewelry and attention, rapt audiences and sleek suits—and it was. Watching the BET Awards, a young Quadry noticed the respect given to artists onstage and on the red carpet. It looked pretty good. And growing up in Baton Rouge, La., he had local hip-hop role models on the national stage: hometown icon Boosie Badazz and New Orleans neighbor Lil Wayne. As a teenager, Quadry released a series of now-hard-to-find mixtapes, even producing his own beats for a spell. All that led to Dopè, which brought him attention outside of Louisiana in 2014. Then he met Tev’n.

Quadry first heard London producer Tev’n’s music with soul singer-songwriter Celeste. Looking to add more R&B influence to his own work, Quadry and Tev’n wrote the America, Me album together, which was released in 2016. By the age of 21, Quadry had started working with TDE management and, in Tev’n, found the 40 to his Drake.

Malik Ruff was made in Los Angeles, across the street from where Kanye West and Frank Ocean have recorded their own classics (The College Dropout and Channel Orange, respectively). In LA, new collaborators dropped by the studio, adding to Quadry’s unique vision for the record. Inspired by the far-out sounds of To Pimp A Butterfly and the genre-defying tastes of Atlanta’s the Dungeon Family, Quadry designed the music using an unlikely palette. The music stays true to his Southern roots with blues, folk, and funk influences, while pushing hip-hop boundaries.

Some of those new collaborators included Steve Lacy of The Internet, who produced the mesmerizing “1:04 PM.” Over a guitar riff that could have been a 90s alt-rock hit or an obscure Bandcamp find, Quadry raps about complex demands and sings about simple pleasures: "But we ride Benz though, got white friends though/ Got a little change in the bank, donate couple birds from the place/ that we came on holidays, oh yeah/ But is this shit enough? From the looks it don’t seem so."

Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Teo Halm is another contributor, adding a sweet, wobbly hook to “Momma,” which is about the person who gave Quadry a love for music. “Cross (New Shoes),” an anthem for sneakerheads, features the Black Party, a soul singer cut from the same blues cloth as B.B. King. All these different voices (Ida'ye, BoyBoy, DJ Dahi, Skhye Hutch, and Dylan Brady to name just a few more) add a melodic sensibility to Quadry’s artistry.

Malik Ruff is soaked in Baton Rouge humidity. Its tracks are interspersed with ambient recordings of restless water and Quadry talking with his friends at home. The songs tackle everyday issues for the artist and his circle. The Tev’n-produced “Louis” is about the degradation of innocence and breaks down the relationship between violence and power: “That’s why I keep two on me now/ Hot rod, I need two to hold me down/ I might catch a case and go to trial.” It’s a day-in-the-life period piece about young adults playing football and talking about their dreams, all while having a semi-automatic weapon in the trunk. “Back home, it’s just the cost of doing life,” Quadry says. “When I come to LA, I see that it’s not normal. It’s not normal for your friends to die—tomorrow.”

More than anything, the album is a snapshot of black life in America, and an artifact of Baton Rouge living in this decade. “I wanted to leave a time capsule,” Quadry says. “Twenty years from now, my friends’ kids hearing this album might stumble upon it and be like, ‘Hey! That’s my dad!’ It’s an honest record that they can listen and relate to 20, 40 years in the future. If I never make another album, you can listen to Malik Ruff and get a good sense of where Quadry is from, what he’s doing, and what he wants to do.”

credits

released November 2, 2018

All Songs Written and Performed by Quadry
Executive Producers: Brock Korsan ⁃ Tev’n ⁃ Quadry
Mastered By: Tyler Page
Mix Engineer: Tyler Page
Mix Assistant: Brazzen
Mixed At: Studio City Sound ⁃ Beach House Studios ⁃ Grace’s Room
Recording Engineers: Tyler Page ⁃ Howell Arnold III ⁃ Najaya Ruffin ⁃ Nick Stanioski ⁃ Andres Aguirre
Recorded at: Beach House Studios
Album Visuals: Edny Jean Joseph

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about

Quadry Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Quadry Winters, 23, started rapping before his years hit double digits. It might have been dreams of jewelry and attention, rapt audiences and sleek suits—and it was. Watching the BET Awards, a young Quadry noticed the respect given to artists onstage and on the red carpet. It looked pretty good. And growing up in Baton Rouge, La., he had local hip-hop role models on the national stage. ... more

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