To close out 2018, 6lack established himself as one of R&B’s brightest thanks to his sophomore album, East Atlanta Love Letter. The 14-track project landed on a number of year-end lists and introduced the Atlanta-born singer to a plethora of new ears. In the year and change following, new releases by 6lack have come in the form of features, some of which include K Camp’s “Black Men Don’t Cheat,” “Yo Love” with Vince Staples and Mereba, and Tinashe’s “Touch & Go.” With his third album still in progress, 6lack slides through with a new freestyle.
Sharing his “ATL Freestyle” with fans, many of which have been near-impatient in their wait for new music, 6lack brings his mellow nonchalance to reflect on his past and present in his beloved hometown. From performances in Atlanta to his friends and his youth, 6lack paints a picture of both the beauty and the ugliness in the hip-hop epicenter.
Hours prior to releasing the song, 6lack posted a message to his social media pages commenting on the current state of being black in America. Beginning his message, he revealed he was not entirely comfortable releasing a song due to the amount of “pain & anger I feel in my heart.” Further down in the letter, he spoke to his reason behind the letter: “I’m writing this letter because my heart and my skin color won’t ever allow me to be in the public eye and not make it clear where I stand in times of injustice… it wouldn’t be right doing so [releasing “ATL Freestyle”] without using my platform to bring awareness to larger social topics at hand.”
Listen to “ATL Freestyle” in the video above.