Underground West Coast hip hop/funk pioneer, Declaime (aka Dudley Perkins), has joined forces with West Coast hip hop artist, Blu, for the new single, “Internally Yours”, which dropped earlier today. Serving as the lead single for Declaime’s forthcoming album, Young Spirit, the song features production by Georgia Anne Muldrow.

“Internally Yours is about inner truth. I’m talking about all the cats running this world to see that they are just like us,” says Declaime. “Their heart beats just like us. The whole album is about how the media and government, food messing with the kid’s heads and their young spirits. Blu’s speaking on some truths he had locked inside of him.”

Due out on August 18 via SomeOthaShip Connect/eOne Music, Young Spirit balances Declaime’s unique rapping delivery over psychedelic funk and jazz-laden production by Georgia Anne Muldrow and Madlib. The album also includes guest features from Saul Williams, Aloe Blacc, and more. Declaime and Georgia will be going on tour in September. Stay tuned for updates on the cities they’ll perform in this fall.

Declaime (aka Dudley Perkins) started making music with his native Oxnard, California crew consisting of Madlib, Kankick, Wildchild & DJ Romes, when he was originally known as D-Loc in 1992. After serving a term in the Navy, Dudley Perkins returned to the US and began recording with his longtime friend Madlib, appearing on the Alkaholiks album, Coast to Coast, as well as The Lootpacks’ debut album, Soundpieces. Described as a mix of Public Enemy, the ‘old school’ Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and KRS-One, Declaime has been instrumental in helping pioneer much of the underground sound of the West Coast, with albums such as the critically acclaimed, Andsoitissaid, Conversations with Dudley, Illmindmuzik, and Astormiscomin.

In 2002, after hearing a demo version of the jazzy number, Flowers, Stones Throw Records founder, Peanut Butter Wolf, asked Declaime to do a singing album entirely produced by Madlib under the moniker of his government name, Dudley Perkins. Dudley and Madlib would go on to record two critically acclaimed albums, Lil’ Light and Expressions (2012 A.U.). In 2009, Declaime started his own label, SomeOthaShip Connect, with his partner, Georgia Anne Muldrow.