Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats Return With New Album II in August

Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats are back together. The duo announced II, their follow-up to the 2020 breakout collaboration Unlocked, set for release on August 21 via Loma Vista. It is the first project between the two since the producer rebranded from Kenny Beats to Kenneth Blume III, and it sounds like the time apart did not slow them down.

The nine-track album pulls in some serious company. Jpegmafia appears on "Evil Grin," Westside Gunn closes out "Crown," and R&B vocalist Yebba joins the pair on album closer "Difference." A retro-styled video for "Difference" is already out, and it sets the tone for what feels like a project that is not trying to repeat Unlocked so much as build past it.

Blume put it plainly in a press release: "The work Denzel and I do has never been easy, which is why it's so rewarding. We've started every project on opposite sides of a coin and fought our way to the center. When I hear this album I hear the growth and the fight in equal parts."

That tension is actually what made Unlocked land the way it did. It was raw, fast, and uncomfortable in the best way. If Blume is describing II the same way, that is a good sign.

What Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats' II Means for Hip-Hop Production in 2025

This release matters beyond just being a reunion. Collab albums between an MC and a single producer are one of the most creatively honest formats in rap, and Curry and Blume have already proven they can make it work. II arriving under Blume's new name signals that this is not nostalgia. It is a continuation on their own terms.

The feature list also reflects a specific corner of hip-hop that does not chase trends. Jpegmafia, Westside Gunn, and Yebba all bring distinct energy, and none of them feel like obvious radio plays. That choice tells you something about where Curry and Blume's heads are at.

For independent artists and producers watching this, the takeaway is real. Two artists building a creative partnership over years, through rebrands and reinvention, and releasing on a label that gives them room to move is still one of the most sustainable paths in the game. This is not a one-off cash grab. It is a working relationship.

II drops August 21. Watch the "Difference" video now and keep this one on your radar when it lands. If the rest of the album matches the feature energy, it should make some noise heading into fall.