A six-track collaboration brings rappers and organizers together around civic participation during the November 3 midterms.
Smoke DZA and production duo Mike & Keys released We Outside on November 2, joining forces with Popular Democracy for a project encouraging communities to get involved. The mixtape pairs a lineup of guest rappers with an organizing campaign extending beyond the recordings.
TIDAL’s release listing identifies six tracks running just over 16 minutes. Benny the Butcher appears on “Statue of Limitation,” while Big K.R.I.T. joins “We Gon Be Straight.”
Beanie Sigel and Styles P feature on “Diamonds Can’t Save You,” and Bun B and Chip tha Ripper appear on the closing track, “Food for Thought.” The credits also list Kai Ca$h, Fergie Baby, WHOISTEVENYOUNG and Reuben Vincent across the release.
The project arrives with a limited-edition clothing collection made with Union Los Angeles and Barriers. BroadwayWorld reports that the capsule includes hoodies, sweatshirts and T-shirts.
Popular Democracy describes the collaboration as part of a wider effort to connect music and cultural work with grassroots organizing. Its network has been involved in voter engagement and election protection, and the release was timed for the final stretch before the midterms.
For Smoke DZA, the partnership brings a roster spanning several generations and regions of hip-hop into one short project. We Outside is available to stream, with the six-song sequence carrying the collaboration’s message into election week.
