| Rags | ||||
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| Released | August 31, 2017 | |||
| Recorded | 2015–2017 | |||
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| Length | 24:01 | |||
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| EarthGang chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Rags | ||||
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Rags is the third EP by American hip-hop duo EarthGang, released August 31, 2017 by Spillage Village and distributed by Empire Distribution. Released after the announcement of their signing to Dreamville, [1] it is the first installment in a trilogy of EPs, leading up to their debut album, Mirrorland . [2]
EarthGang initially met J. Cole in 2014 while touring with Ab-Soul and was told by their manager that "Cole was feelin' them". Shortly after the release of their 2015 album Strays with Rabies and while touring with Bas in 2016, Dot and Venus began recording a "deconstructed album" which would form the three EPs, leading up to their major-label debut album, Mirrorland . [3] It features production from Hollywood JB, Childish Major, Anonxmous, and Ron Gilmore. The EP features guests appearance from JID, Childish Major, and Mick Jenkins. [4]
Upon announcing that the duo was signed to Dreamville, music video for "Meditate" featuring JID was released the same day as the EP release. [5]
Rags has received positive reviews since its release. In a positive review from Creative Loafing , Montana Samuels wrote: "Rather than providing an outwardly raised fist to the system of politics and oppression that are all too familiar to black men growing up in the city, EarthGang’s Johnny “Olu O. Fann” Venus and Doctur “Eian Undrai Parker” Dot alternatively pen an even-keeled reflection of black life in America". [6]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Meditate" (featuring JID) | Elite | 4:38 | |
| 2. | "Nowhere Fast" (featuring Childish Major) |
| Childish Major | 3:57 |
| 3. | "Red Light" |
| Anonxmous | 3:13 |
| 4. | "Legendari" |
| Childish Major | 5:22 |
| 5. | "House" (featuring Mick Jenkins) |
|
| 6:15 |
| Total length: | 24:01 | |||
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) [7] | 48 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [8] | 16 |
Jermaine Lamarr Cole is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape, The Come Up, in early 2007. Intent on further pursuing a musical career, he went on to release two additional mixtapes, The Warm Up (2009) and Friday Night Lights (2010) both to critical acclaim, after signing to Jay-Z's Roc Nation imprint in 2009.
Dreamville Records is an American record label founded by American rapper J. Cole and his manager Ibrahim Hamad. The label is currently distributed through Interscope Records, a unit of Universal Music Group. The roster includes Bas, Ari Lennox, Cozz, Omen, Lute, JID, EarthGang, and Cole himself. Dreamville also houses American record producers Elite, Ron Gilmore, and Cedric Brown.
Abbas Hamad, mononymously known as Bas, is a Sudanese-American rapper. He is signed to J. Cole's Dreamville Records via Interscope Records. His first studio album Last Winter, was released on April 29, 2014, followed by his second studio album, Too High to Riot, which was released on March 4, 2016. Bas' third album, Milky Way, was released on August 24, 2018.
EarthGang is an American hip hop duo from Atlanta, Georgia, composed of Olu and WowGr8. They are co-founders of the musical collective Spillage Village, with JID, Hollywood JB, JordxnBryant, 6LACK, Mereba, and Benji.
Courtney Shanade Salter, known professionally as Ari Lennox, is an American R&B singer from Washington, D.C. She is the first female artist to be signed to J. Cole's record label, Dreamville Records. She began gaining recognition after the release of her first EP Pho (2016) on the label. That same year, she made an uncredited guest appearance on Cole's song "Change". Lennox's debut studio album Shea Butter Baby followed in 2019.
Luther Nicholson, better known by his stage name Lute, is an American rapper. He is signed to J. Cole's Dreamville Records. He released his first mixtape, West1996, on February 22, 2012. His debut album, West1996 pt. 2, was released on September 29, 2017. His second album, Gold Mouf, was released on October 4, 2021.
Christopher Smith Jr., better known by his stage name Smino, is an American rapper. Smino is the founder of the musical collective Zero Fatigue with Bari, Monte Booker, Jay2, and Ravyn Lenae. He is one third of the supergroup Ghetto Sage, with Saba and Noname. Smino is signed to Downtown Records and Interscope.
Destin Choice Route, better known by his stage name JID, is an American rapper and singer. He is a part of the musical collective Spillage Village, founded by EarthGang in 2010, with Hollywood JB, JordxnBryant, and 6lack, among others. He is signed to J. Cole's Dreamville Records and Interscope Records. He is also a member of the hip hop supergroup Zoink Gang, with Smino, Buddy, and Guapdad 4000.
The Never Story is the debut album by American rapper JID. It was released on March 10, 2017, by Dreamville Records, Spillage Village and Interscope Records. The Never Story was supported by four official singles; "Never", "D/vision", "Hereditary" and "EdEddnEddy". The album received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number 197 on the US Billboard 200. J.I.D's lyrics details a narrative on his upbringing in East Atlanta.
Simmie Sims III, known professionally as Buddy, is an American rapper, singer, dancer and actor. Previously on the I Am Other label, he is now signed to Cool Lil Company and RCA Records. He is also a member of the hip-hop supergroup Zoink Gang, with JID, Smino and Guapdad 4000.
Mirrorland is the major label debut studio album by American hip hop duo EarthGang, released on September 6, 2019 by Dreamville, Interscope, and Spillage Village. The album includes features from Young Thug, T-Pain, Kehlani, Arin Ray, and Malik. The production of the album was handled by a variety of producers including Olu, J. Cole, Elite, Ron Gilmore, Christo, Bink, DJ Dahi, Childish Major and Groove, among others.
Robots is the fourth EP by American hip-hop duo EarthGang, released October 20, 2017 by Spillage Village and distributed by Empire Distribution. Released as a sequel to their third EP Rags, it is the second instalment in a trilogy of EPs, leading up to their debut album, Mirrorland. The EP features production from Swish, Groove, Anonxmous, Insightful, and Johnny Venus. It features a guest appearance from SiR.
Royalty is the fifth EP by American hip-hop duo EarthGang, and the third of the trilogy with Rags and Robots. It was released on February 16, 2018 by Spillage Village and distributed by Empire Distribution. The EP includes production by Childish Major, and guest appearances from Dreamville's singer Ari Lennox and Spillage Village's Mereba.
Revenge of the Dreamers III is the third compilation album by American record label Dreamville, released on July 5, 2019, by Dreamville and Interscope Records.
Spillage Village is an American musical collective from Atlanta, Georgia. The group is composed of rappers, singers and producers, and was founded by the members of EarthGang. Spillage Village was primarily made up of five initial members with a split-base in both Atlanta and Baltimore.
American rapper JID has released three studio albums, three compilation albums, two extended plays (EP), four mixtapes and fifteen singles.
"Down Bad" is a song by American record label Dreamville featuring performances by American rappers J. Cole, JID, Bas, Johnny Venus of EarthGang, and Young Nudy, released on June 12, 2019 alongside "Got Me" as the dual second single from the label's 2019 compilation album, Revenge of the Dreamers III.
Markus Alandrus Randle known professionally as Childish Major, is an American rapper and record producer based in Atlanta, Georgia. He initially rose to fame as the producer of the 2013 Rocko single, "U.O.E.N.O.", which peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. He has since shifted into a career as a solo recording artist with his debut mixtape, Woo$ah, being released in 2017 by Empire Distribution. A single off that project was produced by J. Cole and was featured on an episode of the HBO series, Insecure. In September 2019, he released his debut studio album, Dirt Road Diamond.
Ghetto Gods is the second studio album by American hip hop duo EarthGang. It was released on February 25, 2022 by Dreamville, Interscope, and Spillage Village. The album includes guest appearances from Future, JID, J. Cole, Musiq Soulchild, Baby Tate, CeeLo Green, Nick Cannon, and Ari Lennox.
D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape is the fourth compilation album by American record label Dreamville. It was released on March 31, 2022, by Dreamville and Interscope as a Gangsta Grillz mixtape hosted by DJ Drama.