EP artwork for PartyNextDoor's Colours 2.
In the early hours of Friday, June 2, PARTYNEXTDOOR dropped a surprise four-track EP on Apple Music and Spotify called Colours 2. The project is his first release since 2016’s P3, and a kind-of follow-up to 2014’s similarly short and sweet PNDCOLOURS project. The EP has no features (though the Soundcloud-specific version features Majid Jordan on the intro), but one collaborator who is present throughout the project is G. Ry, a producer and longtime friend to Party, who first met the OVO hitmaker back when he was still going by Jahron B.
G. Ry has been a quiet but constant presence in Party’s career, first co-producing on PND2 cut “SLS,” and then lending a hand with several tracks on P3, More Life’s “Since Way Back,” and a handful of other notable PND tracks. Earlier this year, he signed a publishing deal with Party’s OMO label. Over the phone, the rising producer shared some details about the making of the EP, how his working relationship with Party solidified, and what we can expect from the two in the future.
How did the idea for the EP come about?
Really it was a lot to do with PARTY[NEXTDOOR] and his genius. He sent me a message randomly one night like “Hey, I’m doing an EP all over your beats,” and as I was giving him material, he would send me the songs back, and that became the EP. It was a process of about five to seven days, everyday was a new song. We picked the best ones and that’s what you ended up hearing.
There’s a bonus intro on Soundcloud that features Majid Jordan, but also a conversation with your incarcerated brother. Can you tell me a little about that?
I only get to speak to [my brother] once a month, and between a 15 minute call I have to split between me and my mother, it’s only a short time to talk to him. I always talk to him and let him know what I have going on. We keep up through letters, too, so by the time I hop on the phone, he knows what’s going on, like “You and Party are doing an EP? That’s tight.” I was like “actually I need you to say something for me right now, I’m recording you, don’t get nervous.” I recorded him in a couple takes, took that back to the studio, presented it to Party, he loved it, we did a short edit and added it to the tape.
What’s the story behind “Low Battery”? It’s got a bit of that poppy bounce and breakdown he’s been hopping on of late.
When I made it, I produced it with my collaborators I kind of always work with — the same ones I worked on for “Since Way Back” with Party and Drake. Their names are M3rge and Top Floor. As soon as I heard the uptempo and fast — you know, the island vibe is very hot right now, and go figure, Party’s the one who started it all with “Work.” Once I heard it I thought, “let’s crank it out and see what happens.”
All his projects sound different on purpose, just because every time he makes a sound hot, people hop on it, they ride the wave. His job is to set the new wave and sounds. BUT, I do like that you do say [the tape is reminiscent of his earlier sound] because it’s just a sound that everyone — that I love especially — and we just have this chemistry that makes it just sound real authentic, it connects, like a real PARTYNEXTDOOR sound, and it’s not forced, it’s just something that me and him are natural at doing.
What was the song or project that might have solidified you and Party’s chemistry and working relationship?
PND2, even though that was just one song I co-produced with him. That was at a time when he wasn’t working with any producers at all, he wasn’t taking anyone’s beats, he wasn’t really open to it, and he was just really locked in on his sound, and was more of a private artist. But him letting me be on that project, him hopping on one of my beats and working on it and co-producing it with me, it showed me he fucks with me and that there’s a future in this. It really turned my whole career around.
What can we expect from you and Party in the future?
I’m signed to Party through a publishing deal, so yes, he’s working on an album, he’s working on more projects. He’s a priority to me over anyone else, so I’m definitely working on more projects for him. He has a lot of great news that he’s about to drop on people, a lot of surprises. People aren’t going to expect what he’s about to do next.
