John Legend and rapper JID have joined forces for a new summer anthem titled “Dope.”
Produced by Ian Kirkpatrick and Ryan Tedder, “Dope” finds Legend hooked on a special woman. “She’s sooooo dope / Wanna be her dope fiend / She showed me what dope mean / She’s sooooo dope / She can be my dope queen / We could make a dope scene,” Legend sings on the radio-friendly chorus.
JID comes in on the second verse, where he recounts a delightful time in the bedroom that had him craving for more. “And at the day’s end / I’m still chasin’ and racin’ / To get that first taste again / It was amazin’,” he raps.
The song’s warm production paired with Legend’s breezy vocals are enough to get any party started. In some ways, “Dope” refreshingly sounds like a rap/sung collaboration from the 2000s. (Pharrell and Jay-Z’s 2003 jam “Frontin'” comes to mind, especially in the beginning.)
“Dope” is the first taste of Legend’s upcoming album that will release on Republic Records. “I’m so thrilled to be releasing new music,” says Legend. “The past year or so has been so exciting for me creatively. I have been writing and collaborating with some of the most talented people in music, and we have some great new material to share with the world.”
Of his new single, he says, “‘Dope’ is one of my favorites. I love the energy of the song. I loved collaborating with my gifted co-writers and producers, and JID is one of my favorite emerging artists in hip-hop. I hope the song can be a part of people’s soundtrack for this summer.”
Legend’s eighth album will follow 2020’s Bigger Love. The Grammy-winning album included his gold-selling singles “Conversations in the Dark” and “Wild” with Gary Clark, Jr.
On Aug. 5, Legend will resume his Las Vegas residency at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. He will perform shows through the end of October.
Listen to John Legend’s new song “Dope” featuring JID below.
