“Hood tat on me permanent,” Jay Rock raps early in “Eastside”—a fitting reflection of the deep-seated determination that courses through the single. In the visual—which is viewed through the lens of a documentary gone wrong and is constantly prodding the viewer to consider their position as a spectator by foregrounding the cameras, production logistics, and constantly recording cell phones of passersby—fistfights and even a shootout are staged with an eerie naturalism.

“Eastside” marks Jay Rock’s first solo release in the half-decade span since Redemption, the 2018 album that confirmed his status as one of the sharpest observers and most uncompromising storytellers to emerge from California in his generation. Songs from the album earned him three of his four Grammy nominations: Best Rap Song for both “Win” and his Kendrick Lamar, Future, and James Blake collaboration “King’s Dead,” which took home the trophy in the Best Rap Performance category and has garnered over 2.5 billion global streams and counting. “King’s Dead” was also featured on Black Panther: The Album, the widely acclaimed soundtrack to the 2018 box office hit Black Panther.

Stream “Eastside” by Jay Rock HERE