After an unexpected delay, Griselda’s Armani Caesar is finally ready to break into the mainstream light.
The Buffalo native has delivered her latest album, The Liz 2, featuring guests in Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, Benny the Butcher, Kodak Black and more.
Inspired by iconic actress Elizabeth Taylor, the 17-track album features production from Griselda staples like Denny LeFlare and Camouflauge Monk. Caesar manages to skate over these aggressive, boom-bap beats like the previously released single “Hunnid Dollar Hiccup” featuring Benny the Butcher and Stove God Cooks with relative ease. Her latest single “Diana” with Kodak Black features a much more laid-back approach over a smooth and jazzy instrumental yet she still fits perfectly over it. Kodak continues his feature run this year and sounds surprisingly at home over the Camoflague Monk produced track.
However, Caesars also shows that she can switch up the typical sound her label has mastered throughout the years. On tracks like “Queen City” and “Meth & Mary,” the production is much lighter and more upbeat compared to the singles. She sounds like a natural, as Ceaser manages to satisfy both fans of classic 90’s sounding hip-hop and the new generation of listeners.
To celebrate her latest album’s release, she stopped by Hot 97 to talk with Peter Rosenberg about her creative process, working with Kodak and female artists in hip-hop. She talks about her origin in the rap game and how she met up with DJ Shay at Lilo Studios. She went on to say that she designed The Liz 2 to show that she could make great songs instead of only being a great rapper.
“I’m talking about real stuff and everything that I’m talking about on this album, I was probably going through in real time.”
Armani Caesar talking to Hot 97 on ‘The Liz 2’
Griselda may be a household name thanks to the trio of Benny, Gunn and Conway, but with The Liz 2, Armani Caesar is looking to find her name right alongside them — making another stellar addition to Griselda’s already prestigious catalog.
Listen to ‘The Liz 2’ by Armani Caesar below!
Armani Caesar cooks with Westside Gunn on latest single ‘Paula Deen’
After a surprise delay, Armani Caesar returns with her second single off her upcoming album The Liz 2.
On “Paula Deen,” the First Lady of Griselda links up with its figurehead Westside Gunn, as the pair cook up another bar-heavy banger that leads into her new record.
Much like the previously released “Hunnid Dolla Hiccup,” Armani holds a commanding presence on the mic. Over a head-nodding, drum-pounding Camoflauge Monk-produced instrumental, she immediately catches listeners’ attention with her overwhelming confidence and braggadocious lines. She’s “on Paula Deen s**t” and only delivers the best with each line. Caesar then hands it off to Gunn for the back half of the track, calling himself “the black Lex Lugar” and stunting on the competition.
“Paula Deen” is Caesar’s second released single to her highly anticipated sequel to her 2020 album The Liz. Originally planned to drop at the top of September, the album was met with delays and the date had to be pushed back into October.
The Liz 2 is primed to cap off Armani’s year following countless features on her fellow labelmate’s projects and her impressive freestyle on Bars on I95. The Buffalo star also appeared on the Benny the Butcher-led Black Soprano Family project Long Live DJ Shay on the track “Bigger BSF” earlier this month.
With both of these singles, Armani is clearly ready to step up to the stage. She’s already received praise from critics on her last project, but now she’s looking for that mainstream spotlight.
We’ll see if she takes hold of it when The Liz 2 drops on Oct. 21.
Listen to “Paula Deen” by Armani Caesar featuring Westside Gunn below!
Armani Caesar announces ‘The Liz 2,’ drops new single ‘Hunnit Dolla Hiccup’
Griselda’s first lady is ready to take center stage, as Armani Caesar has announced her new album, The Liz 2, with its first single “Hunnit Dollar Hiccup” — featuring fellow Griselda-mates in Benny the Butcher and Stove God Cooks.
Over a slow, menacing beat produced by Denny LaFlare, all three artists deliver braggadocious bar after bar. It’s a throwback posse cut over an old-school, head-nodding beat. Caesar knows she’s the next to sit atop the pedestal and sees herself as the only competition. Benny and Stove God Cooks pick up their pace with their respective flows and continue their ongoing streak of impeccable lines on feature and solo spots alike.
The Liz 2 will be Caeser’s first project since its predecessor The Liz dropped back in 2020. She’s been subtly showing off her skillset stemming from her appearances on Conway the Machine‘s From King to a God and Westside Gunn‘s Flygod is an Awesome God 2. Additionally, she’s only gotten better with time,and with the added exposure thanks to her impressive gust verses, her forthcoming album has the potential to send her to the next tier.
Griselda Records is one of rap’s most consistent and hardest-working collectives, and Caesar is more than ready to have her moment in the spotlight. She’ll get more time to shine once The Liz 2 drops on Sept. 2.
Listen to “Hunnit Dolla Hiccup” by Armani Caesar featuring Benny the Butcher and Stove God Cooks below!
