Today, GoldLink, one of the most innovative artists in hip-hop, releases his third studio album, HARAM!, via Squaaash Club/RCA Records. Click here to listen.
Containing 15 tracks with features by Flo Milli, NLE Choppa, Santigold, Bibi Bourelly, Rich The Kid, emerging international act Fire! and more, HARAM! represents the destruction and rebuilding of a new GoldLink, yet stays true to his lyrical prowess. Joe Perez (Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Pusha T) helmed the creative direction for the album.
Continuing to redefine what a “rap star” is meant to be, HARAM! is GoldLink’s most personal, genius, adventurous and riskiest piece of work to date. Filled with unfiltered braggadocios raps, challenging flows – yet feels more specific, like a biopic – the album is one that poses questions rather than give answers. The metaphoric use of the harsh, gritty telephone effect against his iconic cadence signifies that GoldLink is purposefully imperfect; he doesn’t want to be perfect. With HARAM!, GoldLink’s quest is to challenge the idea of rap titles in art in his pursuit to becoming a musical deity.
This Saturday (6/19), GoldLink will be performing during Luminosity Gaming’s “Luminosity Live” event, presented by F9. Catch him on Twitch at 10pm EST on the Luminosity Twitch Channel.
HARAM! Track list:
01 Extra Clip feat. NLE Choppa
02 202
03 White Walls
04 Spit On It feat. Rizloski
05 Terrordome
06 Evian feat. PinkPantheresss, Rizloski & Rax
07 Raindrops feat. Flo Milli
08 Twin feat. Rich The Kid
09 Girl Pacino
10 Thump Chronicles Vol. 1 feat. Pressa & Digga
11 Culture Clash feat. Fire!
12 Wayne Perry feat. LukeyWorld
13 Wild and Lethal Trash! feat. Fire! & Santigold
14 Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk feat. Jesse Boykins III
15 Cindy’s Daughter feat. Bibi Bourelly
Listen here: HARAM!
About GoldLink:
Where the intersections of the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) collide, GoldLink is a direct product. Washington, D.C., and the broader DMV area, have long been treated like a musical Rubik’s cube. There are bursting, technicolor patches of musical brilliance, but the component parts never line up in a way that made sense to those on the outside. GoldLink is not interested in spelling out all the nuances of his hometown; what he does aim to do is synthesize his environment’s litany of influences and inspirations into something unique, singular, and all together his own.
With his RIAA-certified Gold debut studio album At What Cost (Squaaash Club/RCA) – helmed by the monstrous single “Crew” – released in March 2017, he’s done just that. By merging the sensibilities of go-go with the African diaspora, he’s done what hip-hop has done from its inception: repurpose what’s available into something magical.
The success of At What Cost and 4x Platinum single “Crew” saw GoldLink achieve a number of career firsts — from his Grammy nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration to the iHeartMedia Music Awards nomination for Best New Hip-Hop Artist to his BET Awards nomination for Best New Artist. Adding to his accomplishments was a Grammy Nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration the following year with “Like I Do” with Christina Aguilera.
Following up in 2019 with Diaspora, GoldLink continued to show his sonic range and influences as shown on singles “Zulu Screams” ft. Maleek Berry & Bibi Bourelly, and “Joke Ting” ft. Ari Pensmith. The album was recognized by Pitchfork as “the best music of his career,” and Highsnobiety declared “GoldLink can conceive of and execute his ideas better than most anyone in hip-hop today.” Diaspora made several Best Albums of The Year lists including Complex, UpRoxx, Hot New Hip Hop and more, while “Zulu Screams” made The New York Times “54 Best Songs of 2019” list, calling it “a supremely catchy international collaboration.”
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