Gearing up to make a major creative statement, critically acclaimed Chicago-based rapper McKinley Dixon announces his new album, Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?, out on June 2nd. It marks his official full-length debut for City Slang Records. Pre-order/Pre-save Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?—HERE.

He heralds the record with the new single and music video “Run, Run, Run.” Throwback production propels the track forward with a buoyant beat and jazzy melodies. His deft and dynamic flow bobs and weaves through the soundscape as he promises, “With eyes watching God, my heart stays on…you.” Meanwhile, the accompanying visual combines stylized vignettes of McKinley rapping in the halls of an old building as the janitor launches into showstopping choreography. It ultimately pops off as an arresting and fascinating cinematic clip.

The 10-track Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? unspools as a powerful pastiche of sound and emotion. The title pays homage to Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison’s immortal trilogy of novels who McKinley has previously referred to as “the greatest rapper ever.” As such, he continues her tradition of intense introspection and uplifting escapism with a sobering perspective on the modern American experience. In a similar fashion, he delivers deliberate and dynamic lyricism befitting of her creative cadence. Rounding out the vision, the LP also boasts guest appearances from poet and writer Hanif Abdurraqib, Teller Bank$, Alfred., Ghais Guevara, Anjimile, and Seline Haze, to name a few.

Photo Courtesy: Jimmy Fontaine