It’s been 12 years since the release of Dom Kennedy’s debut mixtape 25th Hour and he’s been a staple in the underground music scene ever since. Dropping off projects such as From The Westside With Love, Yellow Album, Get Home Safely and much more, the West Coast-bred rapper has helped pave the way and open doors for many independent/ underground artists to follow suit and set foundations for themselves and their imprints.

When he first announced the project’s release on July 21, one could only assume that his loyal fan base felt that Christmas was coming earlier than expected — and it did. We’re now fortunate enough to have received his highly anticipated seventh studio album, Also Known As Courtesy Of Half-A-Mil.

What makes this project that much more profound, is that it’s produced by one of the best producers in the game — Hit-Boy. Having produced multi platinum records for Jay-Z, Beyonce, Lil Wayne, Drake and more, Hit-Boy has cemented his legacy and his name clearly speaks for itself.

Of course, these days there are a of opinions on Hip Hop and what its current state is. The OPM (Other People’s Money) founder stated what he thought about hip hop’s current standing:

I feel like it’s in a corporate state. I just feel like if you a big corporation and you got big money you could blend in and get your message across. Basically whatever level you on and I’m like the coca-cola of the rap game. I’m not gon lie. But I’m not trying to be worried about it. I feel like I make a certain product for people that understand that and I try to do my best to stay true to how I feel and how I’m thinking and share that knowledge and whatever is on my heart through the music at that time.

Stream Also Known As Courtesy Of Half-A-Mil below and roll one!