Kodak Black Delivers 'News Matt' Video From New 'Trill Bill' Mixtape

11-29-2024

(Vulture Love / Capitol Records) Less than a month after his last mixtape, multi-platinum rapper Kodak Black drops yet another full-length project, Trill Bill. The charismatic Pompano Beach star continues to interrogate his psyche, his peers, and his place in a broken system on an 11-song set that includes features from Taylor So Made and TTO K.T.. Trill Bill comes complete with a visual for the track "News Matt" which includes footage from Kodak's appearance on Million Dollaz Worth Of Game.

Kodak also continued a Thanksgiving tradition with Kodak's Turkey Drive this past weekend. He and his Vulture Love label's artists visited four locations around Florida - in Delray Beach, Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Miami. Kodak gave out 1,800 turkeys in honor of the 1800 block that he grew up on.

Trill Bill follows the November 1 release of Kodak's Dieuson Octave mixtape (led by the single "Catch Fire"), a haunted, inward-looking project titled after the artist's actual birth name. But Kodak legally changed his name to Bill Kapri a few years back, and Trill Bill captures the multifaceted man from a different angle - frequently the "fly, fresh, and foolish" side of him, as he raps on "Cyber Truck."

"Dirty Revolver" taps into that wild energy, but also Kodak's incredible gift for improvising catchy melodies and unexpected rhythms as he traverses the track, not to mention his ability to set a scene right off the bat: "F- the rain, i'm in the Chevrolet impala with duct tape around a dirty ass revolver."

Songs like "Cherish the Moment," "Mayhem," and "Escalade" with Taylor So Made lean into darkness and indulgence as Kodak uses his blues-soaked delivery to bring details and emotions to life - voice cracking or slurring, bouncing over a stray beat or dropping to an eerie whisper. On "Land in Hell" he lays out a harrowing narrative of betrayal and retribution, sounding weary over heavy keys, bass, and drums.

But like every Kodak release, Trill Bill paints a complex portrait. On "Heartfelt," over soulful keys, he acknowledges the risks of living life on the edge. A song later, "One Piece Left," he makes a promise to someone he loves: "Tonight's my last night on Percocets and acting wild / Been looking everywhere but you was right here all the while / ... / I got one more piece of my heart left, and I been saving it for you."

Trill Bill and Dieuson Octave are Kodak's first solo full-lengths since 2023's When I Was Dead, in which he explores both his nightmares and his aspirations. Featuring the smash hit "Lemme See," the set only reaffirmed Kodak's status as one of the most gifted of his generation. More recently, he dropped the hard-hitting "Hit Stick," preceded by introspective cuts "Dis Time," "Stressed Out," and "Non Believer" - plus "Shampoo," a confident burst of street rap in the style that made him a superstar.