What So Not has enlisted American indie artist Oliver Tree and Run The Jewels rapper Killer Mike for his first new single of 2022, ‘Mr Regular’.
The track, released yesterday (May 30), marks the first time that the three artists have worked together on the same track. What So Not had previously remixed Run The Jewels’ 2020 single ‘JU$T’, which then prompted the producer to show Mike a new instrumental demo that would later become ‘Mr Regular’.
The new track was teased earlier this month, with What So Not noting that there had allegedly been delays in its release due to Tree’s lack of cooperation.
“He’s the only person who hasn’t signed off on this thing, and my whole career is on hold,” the producer said at the time. He had also accused Tree of not turning up for a shoot for the music video, costing him $50,000 in the process.
Due to Tree’s satirical and ironic nature, however, both accusations have been believed to be fabricated to promote the single’s release by Tree’s fans.
In a press statement, What So Not noted that the new song thematically explored “the difficulty that we face through our childhood and career progression, as clueless superior figures try to control and shape our path”. He co-wrote and co-produced the song with James Earl, and cited Gorillaz and Dead Prez as influences. Listen to ‘Mr Regular’ below:
‘Mr Regular’ will feature on What So Not’s second studio album, ‘Anomaly’, which is scheduled for release in September. The album will also feature the previously-released singles ‘The Change’ (featuring DMA’S) and ‘Messin Me Up’, featuring Evan Giia. Collaborations with MØ, Louis The Child and Enschway are also slated to appear on the album.
Tree is currently touring in support of his second album, ‘Cowboy Tears’, which will bring him to Australia in July as part of Splendour In The Grass. Elsewhere, Killer Mike is reportedly at work on the fifth Run The Jewels album, and recently made a cameo in season four of Ozark.