Fly Anakin by Will Pippin
“tongue-twisting verses seem effortless” – The FADER
“bulletproof with something for the rap purists, underground aficionados and casual listeners alike” – HipHopDX
“one of underground hip-hop’s greatest talents” – HotNewHipHop
“a star in his own right” – SPIN
Richmond, Virginia’s Fly Anakin shares his new single “The Times” as the latest offering from his forthcoming new album. Produced by Mono En Stereo (Prodigy, De La Soul, Action Bronson), Anakin’s new single collides the lackadaisical charm of his delivery on the Skinemaxxx EPs with the characteristically incisive lyricism he’s showcased throughout his career. His new track follows previously-released singles “YOUGOTME!!!” and “My N*gga” featuring $ilkmoney, Quelle Chris and Big Kahuna OG as previews of (The) Forever Dream, Anakin’s second studio album and the most refined music of his career to-date. “The Times” is accompanied by a Phillip Youmans-directed visualizer.
(The) Forever Dream represents a newfound creative freedom for Anakin, partnering with executive producer Quelle Chris to craft casually conceived songs that register among the most experimental and ambitious tracks he’s ever made. Combining Anakin’s decade-spanning reputation of being an incisive and masterful lyricist, with Quelle’s free-wheeling, yet intentional production style, the duo are polar opposites and a match made in heaven. Beyond Quelle, Anakin also enlisted collaborators both familiar and new on (The) Forever Dream, including Pink Siifu, BbyMutha, The Alchemist, $ilkMoney, lojii, Nickelus F, Turich Benjy, Demae, and of course, Mutant Academy brethren Big Kahuna OG and Sycho Sid.
Having spent the majority of the past decade honing his craft with consistent Mutant Academy releases as well as a prolific run of solo projects, Anakin broke new ground in 2020 with his widely-celebrated joint album with Pink Siifu, FlySiifu’s, and the accompanying $mokebreak EP a year later. That project opened up a new sound and community for Anakin who has seized on that project’s success to cement himself as a leader in rap’s underground renaissance with his critically-acclaimed studio debut album Frank in 2022, which landed on best of the year lists at Bandcamp, HipHopDX, OkayPlayer, Uproxx and more. His subsequent dual-sided mixtape series with Foisey, Skinemaxxx, demonstrated that he could be versatile and adapt to more experimental and boisterous production, leading to Pitchfork describing him as “the single best pure rapper in the scene.”
Listen to “The Times” above, see below for more album details and stay tuned for more from Fly Anakin coming soon.
Fly Anakin
(The) Forever Dream
Lex Records
April 29, 2025
1. Good Clothes (feat. Demae)
2. Teen Summit
3. My N*gga (feat. Quelle Chris, $ilkmoney & Big Kahuna OG)
4. Lil One (Intro)
5. Lil One
6. CheckOnMe (feat. lojii)
7. NOTTOOSHABBY (feat. Quelle Chris, Nickelus F & $ilkmoney)
8. Lord Forgives, I Hold Grudges (feat. Denmark Vessey & Pink Siifu)
9. The Times
10. Forever Dream (Interlude)
11. Forever Dream
12. Corner Pocket (feat. Quelle Chris & BbyMutha)
13. Dr Phil [skit] (feat. Psycho Sid)
14. YOUGOTME!!
15. Foreverever Dream (Interlude)
16. Say Thank You (feat. Pink Siifu & Turich Benjy)
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