Even when heвЂ™s addressing the American healthcare crisis, he keeps things comical, as on вЂњMy Left Nut ItchвЂќ, which is surprisingly graceful, not to mention catchy вЂ“ even as his engineer steps in to tell him, вЂњthatвЂ™s not gonna work,вЂќ and he snickers about a вЂњtesticle clause.вЂќ But, in the end, he refuses to give into doom and gloom, keeping it positive with his ever-sparked spirit. Kicking things off with the title track, вЂњSoulful DistanceвЂќ very much taps into the pandemicвЂ™s looming presence, with Devin daydreaming of the day it ends and musing on the strangeness of our necessitated six-feet bubbles. Soulful Distance, much as its COVID-referencing title implies, finds Devin perhaps less interested than ever in the confines of genre, as he drifts вЂ“ or even glides вЂ“ seamlessly between hip hop, glazed-over R&B, and grooved-out soul. Now, presumably at least partly inspired by quarantine boredom, heвЂ™s returned with his warmest, most immediate album in some time. YouвЂ™d be hard pressed to name a truly disappointing entry in his discography amidst a few practically classic releases ( Just TryinвЂ™ ta Live, To tha X-Treme, and WaitinвЂ™ to Inhale are essential slacker rap). Since his 1998 debut, The Dude, Devin has, well, abided. WhatвЂ™s more, alongside equally underrated favorites such as recent Verzuz вЂњcompetitorsвЂќ (read: besties) Too $hort and E-40, heвЂ™s made a career of being quietly, patiently consistent. DreвЂ™s omnipresent 2001, to bringing AndrГ© 3000 and Snoop Dogg together for the gleeful ode to rap life вЂњWhat a JobвЂќ вЂ“ to say the least, heвЂ™s seen and done a lot. From perfecting a classic DJ Premier beat on вЂњDoobie AshtrayвЂќ, to appearing on Dr. He was stoned.While mainstream popularity may have eluded him, Devin The Dude has had more than his share of big moments in a career of easygoing, nonchalant charm. As for this writer, his first experience with Devin was in 2002, looking westward over the Blue Ridge Mountains from the Shenendoah National Park while вЂњDoobie AshtrayвЂќ echoed into the night from the back of a Subaru Legacy. ( From the New York Times: вЂњDevinвЂ™s ongoing joke, in the old tradition of viper humor, is that he will always be his own worst enemy.вЂќ Viper humor? Why does it have to be linked to an вЂњold traditionвЂќ?) But decide for yourself.

Domo said вЂњremember when we were talking about releasing something on 4/20 and we thought it was going to be too far away?вЂќ time has really passed by man.Д®arly notices on the albumвЂ™s quality are a little somber. We just got through talking about it a few days ago again. I was like oh shit, I donвЂ™t even know if IвЂ™ll be rapping anymore, forget about it and we scratched that whole idea. We started looking for the next available release date that was going to be April 20th on a Tuesday and we kept flipping through the calendar and he says вЂњoh damn Devin, there isnвЂ™t a Tuesday on 4/20 until 2010вЂќ (laughs). We looked at the calendar and we said oh shit, 4/20 doesnвЂ™t fall on a Tuesday.

Anyways, in 2007 he said вЂњYo Devin, you should name your album about weed and put it out on 4/20вЂќ and we were laughing, we were high and shit and said вЂњno doubt, letвЂ™s do it!вЂќ (Laughs). DJ Domo did tracks for me like вЂњBoo BooвЂ™nвЂќ and he helped me with tracks like вЂњSee What I Can PullвЂќ, вЂњItвЂ™s GonnaвЂ™ Be AlrightвЂќ and heвЂ™s still down with me. Mind you, me and my homeboy DJ Domo thought about this. I looked on the calendar and said oh shit, 4/20 falls on a Tuesday (laughs). It didnвЂ™t really ring a bell until later when it was looking for a February release date. I wasnвЂ™t really thinking of that because it was so far fetched, like six months before and we were trying to think of a good date within the next three months or so. : Suite #420 is the new album вЂ“ how ecstatic were you when you realized 4/20 fell on a Tuesday and you could actually pick it as a release date?Дevin the Dude: (Laughs) well it hit me early this year in December-January when we trying to find a release date for this new album. In a recent interview with Word of South, Devin explained the recordвЂ™s origin:

I doubt I have to explain to you what the title means. Houston rapper Devin the Dude has a new album out today, and it is streaming on his Myspace page.

Devin the dude new album