Jim Jones' '12 Days of Xmas' album has arrived

Need a twist to the holidays? Just lean on Dipset’s Jim Jones and his new VL’s 12 Days of Xmas studio effort. The hip-hop veteran comes through with a compilation-filled new project mixing hip-hop vibes with the coldest and most fun season of the year.

From comedian Rayy Rayy’s presence to nearly 20 holiday songs, it’s all must-hear bangers.

‘Tis the holiday season, and the Harlem holiday enthusiast Jim Jones released his newest holiday album, VL: 12 Days of Xmas. Like his previous holiday albums such as A Dipset Xmas and A Tribute To Bad Santa Starring Mike Epps, it’s a family occasion with some of New York’s finest emcees and personalities. 

The album starts off with a hilarious introduction from comedian Rayy Rayy, the newest signee to Jim Jones VL label. "Comedy and music has always been synonymous for me. One compliments the other," says Jones, " I’ve been watching Rayy Rayy grind and make so many people laugh since I’ve first noticed him during the pandemic. He’s help with the decision to start signing comedians not verbally through conversation but through his comedy. So when i decided to make the Christmas album 12 days of Christmas it was only right I have Rayy Rayy host for his debut on vamplife comedy." 

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Rayy Rayy said, “I have never seen anybody do this before in terms of an Instagram comedian who works on a label backing them. This is going to be a lane in the next year and you might see people doing Instagram comedy hoping for a label to sign them."

VL: 12 Days of Xmas provides a wide variety of sounds that caters to almost any sound. “Xmas Eve” featuring Dyce Payso and Tim Vocals provides a timely holiday piano-based instrumental over cheerful vocals from Cover Cod. “Big Gifts” featuring Ditta, Lord Ju, and Onpoint Like OP gives the album a signature New York Drill sound with a blend of Christmas caroling in the production from WillPower and Erxss. The narration of Rayy Rayy throughout the album and a large number of features make this the perfect album to wrap up the year. 

Cam'ron and A-Trk's 'U Wasn't There' album is finally here

It’s bigger than just a hashtag now. New York rap elite Cam’ron and longtime pal A-Trak have finally come through for the fans with their much-needed U Wasn’t There studio effort.

The album is packed with anthems and comes with heavy collaborations from Conway The Machine and Dipset to Styles P and the always entertaining Damon ‘Dame’ Dash. Lock in.

Today, U Wasn’t There—the long-fabled collaborative project between superstar DJ/producer/Fool’s Gold founder A-Trak and New York trendsetter/lyricist/cultural icon Cam’ron—drops via Empire. Arriving nearly a decade after the elite duo dropped their first singles “Humphrey” and “Dipshits”, the album features masterful production by A-Trak, Just Blaze, DJ Khalil, !llmind, Thelonious Martin and more, as well as uniquely introspective verses from one of the most elusive rappers in hip-hop. U Wasn’t There recalls 2000’s-era Dipset sounds and sets the stage for Killa Cam to deliver his hard-hitting, sharply-penned wordplay exemplified on standout "What You Do" featuring Damon Dash. Single “All I Really Wanted”—a soulful Harlem anthem in which Cam effortlessly recounts his teenage years as a basketball player, growing up with fallen heroes Big L and Bloodshed, and hustling his way to legendary status—perked ears at Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Complex, Vibe, Stereogum, and more. The cold-hearted “Ghetto Prophets” featuring Conway The Machine followed suit, earning nods from XXL, HipHopDX, Revolt, and Brooklyn Vegan. 

Cam’ron and A-Trak first connected in 2014 through entrepreneur and record executive Damon Dash who had a vision for a 3-way collaboration that would combine the cachet of the Diplomats, Fool’s Gold and Bluroc brands. The unlikely pair quickly became friends and started recording at Cam’s house in the suburbs of New Jersey. Their early demos were to become the Federal Reserve EP, a mythologized project that was announced with a Complex cover story but never saw the light of day.

Speaking to Complex in 2014 about the anticipated release,  A-Trak said: 

“One thing that’s important to say is this isn’t a throwback project. To me, Cam is forever relevant. People want to hear this now. With the world that I’m in through Fool’s Gold, we’re very much plugged into the generation where all these scenes interact. Cam with Dipset was one of the first ones. He laid the blueprint for that model, where kids don’t only want to hear their music, kids want to rock the pink fur and post the picture on their Tumblr and live the whole lifestyle.”

The mythical work first conceived by Damon Dash is now a classic New York hip-hop record flawlessly curated by A-Trak, featuring notable guests Styles P, Jim Jones, Mr. Vegas, and some trash-talking and philosophizing by Dash himself. To top it off, A-Trak commissioned IRAK visual designer and New York art influencer Kunle Martins for the album’s powerful cover art and design. Nearly 10 years in the making, U Wasn’t There is nothing short of a cultural touchstone, cementing A-Trak and Cam’ron’s storied careers and cultural legacies.