Yung Bans is officially back. After a two-and-a-half-year hiatus – spent focusing on himself, his family and fine-tuning the next era of his artistry – the 25-year-old Atlanta rapper has just unveiled the next iteration of his Yung Bans collective, which began as the self-titled mixtape series that initially put Bans on the map in the late 2010s. Dubbed Vol. 6, Bans has compiled ten fan-favorite unreleased cuts with five new singles, further elevating his signature SoundCloud aesthetic – and making for quite the triumphant return.
Vol. 6 comes five years after Bans’ 2018 Vol. 5, though the rapper picks back up right where he left off. Bans in his bag on Vol. 6, showcasing a vulnerable side he kept under wraps on Volumes 1-5 and even his debut studio album MISUNDERSTOOD, which he released back in 2019. Vol. 6‘s lead single “Who Want Smoke” – which he previewed at collaborator Cole Bennett‘s Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash Festival this summer when he teased his imminent return – features Bans in his zone, asserting his signature, slurry flow over a traditional trap beat. But when “Luv 4 Granted” surfaced last month, fans saw a new, introspective side of the rapper.
So why now? Why, half a decade after the last Volume, was it now time for the next Volume? In the words of Bans, “You can’t beat perfect timing,” explaining that each of the unreleased tracks he selected to include specifically relates to what he’s going through in his life right now.
Gabe Garza
When asked to describe the sound of the album, Bans uses the word “raw,” explaining that Vol. 6 is both “a new era” – but still a “natural progression” – of his artistry.
“It was just me taking my time with it and doing it the right way,” Bans tells Hypebeast. “I’ve got more of a direction now. I know more of who I am. When I released MISUNDERSTOOD I was just 19. I’m older now and can better choose what I want to put out to the kids.”
MISUNDERSTOOD was feature-heavy, seeing the likes of Gunna, Young Thug, Lil Durk, NAV, Future, 03 Greedo, Slim Santana, XXXTentacion and YNW Melly. But the first person to listen to the 2019 album was not any of these big-name contributors or even anyone on Bans’ team – it was Matthew M. Williams.
“He’s just a genuine person,” Bans says. “He critiqued my whole album. He listened to every song on MISUNDERSTOOD and made a bunch of notes. No one on my team even did that.”
Gabe Garza
Vol. 6‘s production credits include TM88, Nick Mira, StupidXool, Danny Wolf, Bobby Raps, and Bugz Ronin, and featured artists are scarce – with only Doe Boy, Ralo, Highway and R5 Homixide appearing on tracks throughout. Bans says the collaborations on this album were strictly limited to “genuine friendships – people who really needed to be on there and actually related to my life.”
But ultimately, it’s the fans that drive Bans; he tells Hypebeast that the “intimacy” of connecting with his supporters was a big catalyst in the release of this project. “I just want to connect with people that are like me. People who are misunderstood. We see each other.”
Find the full tracklist below, and revisit Hypebeast’s 2018 conversation with Yung Bans here.
Vol. 6 Tracklist:
1. Energy (Prod. By Jacck, Dynoxmusic, & JoshBae)
2. Side by Side (Prod. By Nick Mira)
3. Who Want Smoke (Prod. By TM88 & Bobby Raps)
4. No Belt Ft. YNW Melly (Prod. By Nick Mira)
5. I Juss (Prod. By Danny Wolf & 1st Class)
6. The Streets (Prod. By StoopidXool)
7. Stick n a Gown Ft. Highway (Prod. By Keysanee & Xjay)
8. Shirt Off (Prod. By Bugz Ronin & Fizzle)
9. Luv 4 Granted (Prod. By Nick Mira & JP)
10. Rockstar Lyfe Ft. R5 Homixide (Prod. By Bugz Ronin & Mosaic)
11. Solo Dolo (Prod. By Nick Mira)
12. Sometimes (Prod. By Nadddot)
13. Free Trap Free Ralo Ft. Doe Boy & Ralo (Prod. By TM88)
14. Straight Cash [BONUS] (Prod. By MXSSIVH and Lou Xtwo)
15. Bling On [BONUS] (Prod. By Nadddot)
Vol. 6 is out on streaming everywhere now.
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