When Philly rapper Reef the Lost Cauze released his album The Majestic in 2018, it felt like a leveling up for an artist who had spent the previous decade and a half honing his craft. Even for someone who had by then produced classic tracks both solo (“Sound Of Philadelphia”) and with his collective (Army of the Pharaohs’ “Tear It Down”), Reef was full of ambition and vision on this project — with its beats ranging from grizzly neo-noir to uplifting soul, its lyrics ranging from hard-boiled to sensitive, and its cover art full of hope and love, picturing a child walking into the waves on a beautiful beach day — and it paid off.
After a couple years producing mixtapes, EPs, livestreams, and killer DJ nights, on February 2nd Reef returns with the sequel to The Majestic. This one’s called The Triumphant, was recorded by Caliph-NOW and produced by Lord Ziggy, and it features a host of collaborators, from DJ Skipmode to Jillian Taylor of Ruby The Hatchet and Cosmic Guilt. The lead single, “Umer’s Revenge,” uses mysterious and cinematic sonics to backdrop his declaration of intent — it’s the way Reef has preferred to kick off his project rollouts of late (see also: “Brother Mouzone,” “Stay Golden”). In the music video produced by B League, Caliph-NOW and Reef drive around Philly, from center city to Fishtown to the further reaches of the Market-Frankford El, rapping in gritty environs.
Watch it below, preorder the record here, and make plans to celebrate The Triumphant with Reef The Lost Cauze, The Out-Sect, I-Know Brasco & Bear-One on Friday, February 9th at WXPN’s Concert Calendar. For more Reef, revisit his guest DJ set during WXPN’s Hip-Hop 50 celebration.