Copping an Alicia Keys feature on an album opener is just wild… 

Few move as fast and laser-focused as rapper on the rise Lil Durk, the Chicago MC already amassing several studio and collaborative albums under his belt, along with millions of fans around the world. Garnering a cult following after his Signed to the Streets mixtape series in the mid 2010s, Durk quickly made a name for himself in the global hip hop scene for his street-focused tales of woe along with air-tight production right up there with GOATs like Drake, Kendrick and Kanye. Now, almost ten years later, he’s at the height of his powers, and it’s manifested in his latest studio album, ‘Almost Healed’. 

Comprised of over 20 tracks, the new effort from the ‘Backdoor’ rapper is by far his most vulnerable to date, with Durk treating the LP as a therapy session of sorts steered by the one and only, Alicia Keys. And similarly to previous works like 7220, The Voice of the Heroes and his most recent, Lil Durk Presents: Loyal Bros 2, it’s a collab-heavy project that recruits hip hop’s finest to go toe-to-toe with the man himself.

In celebration of the new record, we figured we’d dive into some of its biggest features (and solo tracks) while taking you all along for the ride. Check it below. 

Beginning with the measured album opener ‘Therapy Session’, Durk immediately sets a sombre and reflective tone as he taps R&B legend Alicia Keys to act as his therapist, recounting the various trials and tribulations he’s faced over the years before orienting him in the present moment, urging him that he doesn’t have to “go through this alone” before affirming that she, much like Durk’s day ones, want to hear from the man himself. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dxOaoqaz_c

If you’re gonna pen a hip hop album filled with emotional weight and storytelling, there are few better wordsmiths to link up with than J. Cole. The North Carolina MC helps ground Lil Durk’s lamenting on his personal struggles and his coming from an economically-disadvantaged environment, spurring him on with motivational rhymes as Durk digs deep on lines like, “You can’t blame my past no more, I come from the trenches”. The solemn piano line, minimal production and the choir-led hook “All my life/They been tryin’ to keep me down” really add to the impact of the song, dispelling any doubts that it was the only real choice for the lead single of the album. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4N8lzKNfy4

Durk continues to explore his feelings on ‘Never Again’, the four cuts on the record taking sonic inspiration from its predecessor. Following record, ‘Put Em On Ice’, however, is where we get a brief teaser of the high energy Durk has become synonymous with. Boasting a sporadic flow over a menacing beat reminiscent of 2Pac’s 7 Day Theory, the heater acts as a nice midway between the hip hop balladry of ‘All My Life’ and crowd favourites like ‘2 Headed Goat’ ft. Lil Baby and Polo G. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wk4z_A0SqQ

Following cuts ‘Big Dawg’ ft. Chief Wuk and ‘Never Imagined’ ft. Future is where we really see Durk start to dig in on the collab front, with the former a quintessential hip hop record that vividly portrays the harsh realities of the streets. Chief Wuk’s melodic utterances add some levity to Durk’s dark and brooding delivery, a dichotomy that permeates the majority of collaborations on ‘Almost Healed’. ‘Never Imagined’ with Future, however, takes influence from the early works of D.R.A.M. for an infectious bop that’s both braggadocious and playful, despite the heavy subject matter. It becomes apparent here that Durk isn’t afraid to let his collaborators go ham over a beat, allowing Future to glide across the scales before coming in with his own autotuned vocals. It feels like the two are truly duelling over the soundscape before they come together on the hook as they sing lines like “Comin’ from the gutter, never imagined livin’ like this (Livin’ so special)”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N__fTvHDl8k

Following tracks ‘Sad Songs’ and ‘Before Fajr’ both harken on the emotional weight of ‘Almost Healed’, however, ‘War Bout It’ ft. 21 Savage is where Durk really lets loose emotionally, utilising a fiery and abrasive flow that culminates in him yelling as 21 Savage keeps a calm and collected tone, rapping lines like “My youngins ridin’ strikers, skats, don’t know how to act“ with complete ease. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMXF8YtyyMc

Then comes ‘You Got Em’, a sample-driven trap record that sees Durk assaulting the beat with bars on bars. It makes a nice companion piece to the next feature, ‘Grandson’ ft. Kodak Black. A laid-back record that doesn’t take itself too seriously thematically or sonically, this is definitely Durk’s most laid back and relaxed on ‘Almost Healed’, the Chicago OG basking in the comical verses of Kodak as he sits in the pocket utterly and fully. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz1KvMRSUlo

It’s safe to say if there was one song on ‘Almost Healed’ that truly embodies the competitive spirit of hip hop, it’d be ‘Same Side’ ft. Rob49. Paired with one another atop a frenetic beat filled with revolving synths, Durk and Rob49 push their respective skill sets to the limits as they rap about violence, death and incarceration with equal measures of reverence and anger. Durk’s emotive lines of “Y’all laughed when bro died, when yo’ bro died, turned to a cry baby (Yeah, yeah, yeah)/ Jumped out on both sides with a four-five, that boy can’t hide, can he?” hits especially hard here, acting as one of the emotional centre points of the album as he strips away the braggadocious persona to get to the core of ‘Almost Healed’. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veRZqKoTAtI

It’s at this point we start to feel Lil Durk begin to wrap up ‘Almost Healed’, with the MC slowly but surely spreading the seeds of resolution throughout the remaining tracks. ‘B12’ is your standard drill-inspired track, while ‘At This Point We Stuck’ is an experimental, deconstructed record that feels almost like two minutes of ad-libs crammed together (but in the best possible way). Of course, however, Durk has plenty more emotional gut punches in store before the conclusion of ‘Almost Healed’, linking up with Juice WRLD for ‘Cross The Globe’ which pays tribute to the fallen rapper’s distinct brand of guitar-driven rap as they rap about former loves lost amongst the chaos of fame. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ3SidJb1QI

Then comes a personal favourite out of all the features on ‘Almost Healed’, with ‘Stand By Me’ featuring country singer Morgan Wallen for one of the most surprising yet hard hitting cuts on the LP as the two musos sing to their significant others, imploring them to stand by them through thick and thin. Whenever a country singer and rapper link up, well, the result is always comical, to say the least, but dare I say that this might be one of the best hip hop and country crossovers in recent memory (aside from Lil Nas X of course), and shows just how far Durk has come since the days of Signed to the Streets. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfjpbXys2hk

Finally, Lil Durk concludes ‘Almost Healed’ with the eclectic ‘Moment Of Truth’, drawing from rock, trap and R&B as he reflects on the tumultuous events that led him to ‘Almost Healed’. In accordance with the previous singles on the record, his flow is measured and the lyrical content is poignant, to say the least. However, upon listening to it, it isn’t immediately clear that Durk is almost, rather, that he’s accepting of the fact that he hasn’t yet found peace, but that he’s well on the way to doing so. 

Lil Durk’s new album ‘Almost Healed’ is out now. You can buy/stream it here.