— Los Angeles rapper and producer Rockitneedspace shares a new single and video “Mr. Doubt,”produced by Harrison and featuring his Tan Cressida Records labelmates Cletus Strap and Earl Sweatshirt for a West Coast plugg posse cut.
The track appears on his forthcoming collaborative project with SURF GANG Next Day Air., out October 2nd and closely follows the project’s lead single “factory reset.,” which arrived with an accompanying Aida Osman-directed (The Hawk, Rap Sh!t, Random Acts of Flyness) video.
Across the project’s nine songs, Rockit’s rap cadence and left-field energy blends seamlessly with SURF GANG’s boundary-pushing production; traversing plugg, hip hop, and electronic music. The full project was recorded at Tan Cressida’s studio in LA and executive produced by both Earl Sweatshirt & SURF GANG with features including Cletus Strap, Earl Sweatshirt, Anklesandwich, Leota & distroROE.
Next Day Air. is rooted in California weed culture, specifically through Rockit’s own experiences and association with the scene and industry, although Rockit asserts that the listener doesn’t have to be part of that lifestyle to appreciate the lyrical themes and wordplay. Drawing parallels between the supply chain, demand and everyday language of package distribution to your door, the theme carries through to the album artwork, designed by Harrison of SURF GANG and Rockitneedspace, with photography by stoopidcute (@stoopidcute).
Production on the project is largely handled by SURF GANG’s Harrison off the back of his recent solo album Taking a walk & calling a car home, and being heavily involved in the production across POMPEII // UTILITY, the recent acclaimed album from MIKE & Earl Sweatshirt. The project also includes contributions from SURF GANG members evilgiane & Flea Diamonds. Sonically, Rockitneedspace has been carving out what Earl describes as “West Coast plugg”, encouraging SURF GANG to connect the hazy, melodic qualities of plugg with the attitude and energy of classic West Coast rap. The influence of ’90s gangster rap is also present, as are the warped textures and melodies of old school video game soundtracks.
Mixed by Earl Sweatshirt, this marks Rockitneedspace’s first release on Tan Cressida after signing to the label. With the structure and support of a team behind him, Space has been able to step away from some of the engineering and production responsibilities he previously handled himself to concentrate on rapping, writing, and creating art.
Visually and conceptually, the project draws from the world of ’90s and early-2000s cinema, particularly Friday and the film Next Day Air, which shares a release date with Rockitneedspace’s birthday. That cinematic influence carries through to the sequencing, with “ZOUTHBAYLAKERZ” imagined as an end-credits moment, leaving the listener sitting with the experience rather than immediately moving on. Ultimately, Next Day Air. is designed to be replayed. Rockitneedspace wants to leave listeners feeling fulfilled, like the end of a great smoke session: relaxed, satisfied and ready to run it back.
Listen to “Mr. Doubt,” check out the video above and stay tuned for more from Rockitneedspace coming soon.