Lil Yachty and James Blake have revealed they’ve been quietly working on a joint project.
The Atlanta rapper took to Instagram on Tuesday (February 13) to announce their collaborative album titled Bad Cameo.
In an interview clip, Lil Yachty said the project is a “left” turn for both himself and the British singer/producer, while touching on the shock factor of them teaming up.
“I mean, granted, I think James has worked with a quite substantial amount of Hip Hop artists. But this project is so left for both of us,” he said.
“And then, aside from the one picture that James posted, which — he doesn’t have many followers actually — I don’t think people know that we know each other exist. So it’s just gon’ be like, ‘What the fuck?! When they do this?’”
Yachty added in the caption: “this is real.. soon.”
The picture Lil Yachty was referring to is a studio photo that James Blake posted in March 2023, showing Yachty next to a mic and Blake sat on a computer.
Blake also previewed an unreleased track between them in July last year at one of his CMYK events.
James Blake & Lil Yachty in the studio working on new music 👀 pic.twitter.com/XbOrWH0W4Y
— Hendrix Jewelry (@hendrixjoyeria) March 15, 2023
@palace2stoney Unreleased one from James Blake and Lil Yachty, debuted at CMYK last night 🤒 ‘somebody save the saviour’? #jamesblake#lilyachty#cmyk#exclusive
♬ original sound – palace2stoney
During an interview with DIY Magazine in September, James Blake told a story about Lil Yachty appearing on stage with him that summer.
Blake was DJing at London’s HERE at Outernet venue to around 1,800 people and revealed Yachty’s reaction to Hackney rave legends Ragga Twins.
“Somehow, Lil Yachty just turned up and was stood with me as I was mixing with the Ragga Twins!” he said. “[He and I] had been working on something, and it just happened that he was in London. I asked him if he fancied going out to a club; I don’t think he probably knew what it would be like.
“He happened to turn up at exactly the moment that the Ragga Twins came on stage. Suddenly he was just stood there like, ‘Oh, fucking hell, this is a bit different…’”
As Lil Yachty pointed out, James Blake is no stranger to collaborating with Hip Hop artists. His résumé boasts high-profile collaborations such as “King’s Dead” with Kendrick Lamar, Future and Jay Rock, “Til Further Notice” with Travis Scott and 21 Savage, and “ManyFacedGod” with JAY-Z.
He has also worked with Drake, Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, SZA, Metro Boomin, Chance The Rapper and Vince Staples.
Blake is also recording an album with Kanye West, according to Chicago rapper Fat Money who worked on Donda 2.
Meanwhile, Lil Yachty has been branching out musically in recent years, earning acclaim for his psychedelic rock-inspired album Let’s Start Here which dropped last year.