The album is called "A Sunflower Garden In Harlem Is Hard To Find" — the title itself suggests something nearly impossible to pull off. But the song Liim chose to lead with doesn't look forward at all. Instead, it rewinds the clock back nearly half a century.
The Harlem rapper announced the title and release date of his second studio album today, set to drop on August 28, alongside the new single "1980" featuring Queens rapper AJRadico. Unlike the two tracks that paved the way before it — May's "R.I.P. Peace" and June's "Is Loving Really Bad?," both built on slick beats and playful flows — "1980" is a deliberate throwback, pairing a heavily sample-driven beat with a delivery that leans into that no-frills Run-D.M.C.-style cadence.
Liim says the song draws inspiration from two films: "Paid in Full" and Tupac Shakur's "Juice." "'Paid In Full' and 'Juice' — that's where I'm from," he explains, referring to the Harlem streets he grew up on. "I grew up in pretty much every scene in those movies. I think what those films do for me is just pull the memories right out."
AJRadico picks up the punchlines Liim hands off, laying down his own sticky bars over the warm piano chords, creating a back-and-forth energy against Liim's retro delivery. The accompanying music video leans into a heavy grain and dreamlike filter that echoes the mood of both films, occasionally cutting to cartoonish visuals that add a playful twist to the nostalgic tone.
The rest of the album's tracklist and features have yet to be revealed.
