Kinrose and Malik Elijah celebrate the DMV on collaborative EP ‘rated pg’.
Two of the DMV's rising hip-hop voices, Kinrose and Malik Elijah, have joined forces for rated pg, a five-track collaborative EP that pays tribute to the scene that shaped them.
Drawing from the sounds, language and culture of the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia region, the project sees the two artists bring their own distinct approaches together across five tracks: 93.9 wkys, aye kill, goofys theory, namaste and perfect fit. The result is a project that feels rooted in place while still pushing towards something new.
For Kinrose, rated pg is about preserving a piece of home. As the DMV continues to evolve, the project acts as something of a musical time capsule, capturing the energy and identity of the region while looking at it through a contemporary lens. That sense of nostalgia runs throughout the EP, but never at the expense of experimentation.
The collaboration also brings together two artists at important points in their respective careers. Kinrose has continued to build momentum following his debut EP easygrowing, earning praise from outlets including Lyrical Lemonade, EARMILK and Atwood Magazine while steadily expanding his catalogue. Malik Elijah, meanwhile, has amassed more than four million independent streams over the last year alone, alongside performances with Freddie Gibbs, Domo Genesis and EARTHGANG and collaborations with artists including Cousin Stizz and Jev.
What makes rated pg particularly compelling is the sense that neither artist is trying to overpower the other. Instead, the project thrives on chemistry, with Kinrose and Malik trading bars and hooks while bringing their own personalities into a shared world.