“In hindsight, this mixtape marked a point-of-no return in the Blunt Prophet story that was his life. Prophet always trafficked in a sound that had an undercurrent of violence and unrest, but there was never anything in his catalog that was as openly hostile, angry, and ultimately sad. Listening to Designer Volume 2 nowadays, with the knowledge of the events that transpired in the time between its release and the present day, one has to ask themselves “how could we not have seen this coming?” - Lynne Roland, “A Brief History of New Jersey ”, October, 2056.

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“Everything is everything and everything political”


Almost a year and a half ago, in May 2020, Blunt Prophet released his first volume of Designer Communism. Trappy and buoyant, funny and biting, DC1 crystallized a time where Blunt Prophet had returned to New Jersey triumphantly, dreaming of remaking the political machine in his image. Unfortunately, his dream turned into a nightmare; that nightmare is realized on Designer Communism Vol. 2. This is not a fun experience. Sure, there are lines that will make you laugh, and beats you can bob your head to, but from the jump there are not positive feelings. There is no triumph, only desperation and a pleading for escape. Stuck in a decaying country betrayed by his allies and hunted by his enemies, Blunt Prophet spends DC2 looking for a way out. In the back of his mind, he knows the only way out is through.

His longest ever (non ‘b-sides’) release at a staggering 15 tracks, Vol. 2 finds Blunt Prophet seeing bleak shit every single day. He laments being slept on while smoking on a bat. He has gotten harder to track, but his foes continue to multiply. Orrin Hatch’s old ass won’t stop asking him questions. He covers Protomartyr and the Mountain Goats for some reason. He’s always looking over his shoulder. Technology has it out for him. Paranoia, anxiety, depression cloud his vision like the smoke emanating from his gutted dutch. He is adrift and claustrophobic, alone and under constant surveillance.

Aurally, Blunt Prophet has incorporated a bunch of guitars and feedback this time around; the music is louder and difficult, occasionally bordering on unpleasant. He doesn’t so much evolve his sound as take it to a place it never asked to go. There are no collaborators on this release, only the vision of a man being picked for flesh by the vultures who circle his career, hell bent on snuffing out the blunt forever. God only hopes they don’t succeed, but then again, there ain’t no god here.

Designer Communism Vol. 2 is out everywhere October 8th, 2021.