A$AP Rocky collaborating with Jessica Pratt wasn’t on my August bingo card, but here we are. It’s hard to believe Jessica Pratt is on Rocky’s latest track, especially as you start listening to the song. “HIGHJACK” jumps right into a dynamic boom-bap, with Rocky’s signature melodic raps starting off strong. It’s refreshingly reminiscent of his work from the early 2010s. The beats open up toward the last third of the song, giving way to Pratt’s vocals, completely shifting the tone of the song.
Where did this collab come from? “I just love alternative,” shared Rocky in an interview with Zane Lowe, “I love just different sounds and whatnot. [Jessica Pratt] kind of gave me this kind of Portishead meets Stevie Nicks vibe a little bit. Right. So I always fucked with her as an artist, and so I figured it was necessary to get her and Jon Batiste on this one and kind of make it feel soulful to bring it on home in the outro.”
“HIGHJACK” is the first single from A$AP Rocky’s long-teased and highly-anticipated upcoming album, Don’t Be Dumb, said to be released on August 30. Jessica Pratt released her most recent album Here in the Pitch earlier this year, and is currently touring through the US, more information here.