J. Period is about to drop some gems — and “In The Ghetto (Wake Up)” featuring Rakim, Black Thought and singer John Legend is just the beginning.
In an effort to reintroduce Period’s extensive mixtape collection to a new generation listeners, the storied producer is about to unlock a vault music ahead his forthcoming album.
The song begins with the faint sounds police sirens before The Roots MC explodes into his verse.
“‘In The Ghetto (Wake Up!)’ is an incredibly special track and one the highlights my production discography to date,” J. Period tells HipHopDX. “Black Thought and Rakim are unquestionably two the best MCs to ever touch a mic, and the opportunity to bring them together on wax for the first time was a tremendous honor.
“The track grew out my collaboration with John Legend and The Roots on The Wake Up! project, and John’s soulful voice made the perfect final ingredient to the mix. Everyone was excited to see this song come together — it’s truly historic!”
Before the year is up, the first Best J.PERIOD EP featuring tracks he’s produced from the mixtapes will also hit streaming platforms.
Until then, check out the “In The Ghetto (Wake Up!)” single up top and instrumental/clean versions below.