This past Friday (Sept. 16), D Smoke unveiled a new single titled “El Rey,” a Dem Jointz-produced effort that’s full of stream-of-consciousness bars about racial pride, remaining loyal to his significant other, and much more:

“Black is beautiful, brown is born of the earth, found a love for the people that’s down to stomp on the turf, count ’em out are the reasons we in the dirt, ’til we on top, build pyramids, still could live in the yard, humble ways, but it come to the rumble minus the shirt, she see me, tryna throw that P at me, might lift the skirt, ignoring the ring by my pinky, this d**k is reserved, and shе think it’s a b**ch but real n**ga flip it the bird…”

“El Rey” also comes with a matching visual that celebrates Mexican Independence Day, beginning with a collection of social media tributes from Snoop Dogg, Issa Rae, T.I., G Perico, Rapsody, and Tyrese. The Sergio-directed clip then shows D Smoke in a droptop with his crew, laying on a rooftop, and riding on the back of a scrap truck. During a brief intermission, an older man explains what Mexican Independence Day means to him and his community:

“What independence means to us is a liberation where we can do whatever we want for ourselves without being under some f**ker’s oppression.”

It’s been a full year since D Smoke released his third studio LP War & Wonders, a 16-song effort with additional features from Marsha Ambrosius, Tobe Nwigwe, BJ The Chicago Kid, Westside Boogie, Fireboy DML, Ty Dolla $ign, John Legend, and SiR. Prior to that, he liberated the critically acclaimed Black Habits in 2020, his first full-length effort after claiming victory on the Netflix competition series “Rhythm + Flow.” Press play on “El Rey” below.