Denzel Curry and Kenneth Blume Reunite for ii

The collaborative tension between Denzel Curry and Kenneth Blume has rarely been a secret. For ii, their first full-length since 2020’s UNLOCKED, that friction yields a record that sounds effortless without ever feeling slick.

Recent Curry projects leaned heavily Southern—King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2 and Strictly 4 the Scythe both drew from regional rap idioms. On ii, the geometry shifts. Blume’s beats echo RZA’s shadow work, Madlib’s crate mining, and the collage-density of Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique. It’s boom-bap with a ’90s spine, and Curry adjusts his flow accordingly, locking into double- and triple-time pockets without breaking stride.

Where Melt My Eyez sought a different register, ii lingers in confidence and technical display. On “CROWN,” Westside Gunn appears, and Curry delivers the album’s thesis: “If you want the crown you gotta take it from me.” The boast lands because the delivery does—no overreach, just assurance. This is Curry operating inside a narrower aesthetic window and proving it’s wide enough.