Check Out IDK’s New Single “Life 4 A Life” With Pusha T
The new single examines the psychological toll of crime and incarceration and what so many youth lose to the system.
Photo by Isaac Barnes.
IDK’s latest single “Life 4 A Life” is already generating tremendous buzz, but the song is more than just a new track. On “Life 4 A Life,” IDK and Pusha T examine the realities of crime, incarceration and the impact on so many young people. IDK’s new mixtape, Even The Devil Smiles, is due Jan. 23, but “Life 4 A Life” is about bigger issues than hyping an upcoming release date.
“'Life 4 A Life’ speaks to a way of thinking shaped by survival, retaliation, and inherited codes,” IDK explains. “Not to justify it, but to illuminate it. I’m observing a mindset, not endorsing it, and showing that perspective and growth are possible even for those shaped by the harshest environments. The goal is awareness, empathy, and the belief that more people can learn to see beyond that cycle.”
On the track, the rapper out of the DMV laments the choices so many have to make when they’re trapped.
“I wish I could change how my ni***s like to live/
The problem is the change ain't enough to pay the bills/
So for what the ice worth, they gon' leave your body chill…”
So much of the subject matter is inspired by his own journey through a broken criminal justice system, after spending time in prison as a juvenile for armed robbery. On the track, Pusha T echoes IDK’s perspective on the struggle, and the younger rapper says it was always his intent to have the Virginia rap legend guest on the song.
“I made the song with Pusha T in mind–from the moment it was finished and sent it to him right away,” says IDK. “He told me he was in, and I let it live without pressure. A few months later, right before he released the Clipse album, Let God Sort Em Out, he called me. After the call, he sent me a photo of his handwritten verse, then asked for my email and where to send it. Everything aligned naturally.”
You can check out “Life 4 A Life” below.
