Burgeoning Memphis rapper Clay “Krucial” Perry III joins forces with fellow Bluff City native NLE Choppa for the unfiltered new single “Switches.” Introspective and soulful, “Switches” is the first taste of Perry’s forthcoming project Wake Me Up When It’s Over which features Blocboy JB, Lil Migo, Kevo Muney, Lil Beezy and arrives on February 3rd. “Switches” is accompanied by a suitably epic video. Watch it above.
Amidst a stripped-down beat and choral flourishes, the Tennessee rappers share their truth about life, love, and the music industry. Clay’s raps into a mirror with melodic, passionate bars including his chanting of the name “Candyman” repeatedly in the chorus as a nod to the horror film classic. Choppa steps up and shares his unapologetic thoughts. It’s abrasive, evocative, and endlessly compelling.
The palpable authenticity of “Switches” is reflected in the video, which finds Perry and Choppa trading verses in a neon-hued, smoke-filled warehouse. Their scenes, which include an ominously lit RV and long, contemplative stares into a mirror, are intercut with animated sequences depicting shadow puppets.
“Switches” arrives just one month after “No Direction,” a similarly thought-provoking track, and CLAY, his most ambitious project to date. That 10-track collection showcases his deep musical breadth and range with features from BIG30, G Herbo, and Tay Keith, and samples of indie darlings Tame Impala and Grizzly Bear. The rapper will soon pick up where he left off by sharing anecdotes about Memphis life on Wake Me Up When It’s Over.
If the searing “Switches” is any indication, the project could be Perry’s most vulnerable and hard-hitting to date.
ABOUT CLAY “KRUCIAL” PERRY III:
Clay “Krucial” Perry III raps like he has something to prove. The Memphis artist has been a go-to engineer in the city for years, sitting behind the boards for rap’s finest: NBA Youngboy, Yo Gotti, Blocboy JB, Rico Nasty, Yella Beezy, and more. Working with stars—and working with other artists he thought he could spit better than, pushed him to step into the booth himself. He always felt he had something to say and now was his time to share it. A sense of urgency rings out on new singles like the G Herbo-featuring “Wafi,” where Krucial spits like his life depends on it, laying out a mission of world domination. If his new mixtape Clay is any indication, he may be poised for just that. Krucial began recording in college, realizing no one else could make records sound the way he wanted. Demand for his work grew as he started working with artists like Blocboy and Gotti, and soon, every big record out of the scene bore his fingerprints. He began making noise of his own with independent projects like Krucifix (2018), It Could’ve Been Different (2019), and Too Sad for Tomorrow (2019), and he released his major-label debut If We Must Die in 2021. Now, as he prepares Clay, Krucial has more reasons to succeed than just self-satisfaction. He has people counting on him, mouths to feed. There’s pressure, but he knows he’s capable—he has to be. “It’s like being in the house and the phone rings and you’re the only person there,” he says. “Are you not going to pick up?”
