Jay Rock Returns With First Lead Single in Five Years: "Eastside"

Until now, Los Angeles rapper Jay Rock has remained rather lowkey (aside, of course, from an honorable mention in Kendrick Lamar‘s introductory bars on his and Baby Keem‘s recent single, “The Hillbillies”: “Big Jay Rocks in both hands, bro.”). On Monday night, however, the rapper returned in full form, with his first lead single since Redemption‘s release in 2018, titled “Eastside,” featuring fellow Top Dawg Entertainment rapper Kal Banx.

On the comeback track, which clocks in just over two minutes, Rock comes in hot: he raps, “Eastside got that dope, b*tch I’m serving it,” a line that later resurfaces in the hook. Sirens sound in the background of the cut, as Rock delivers hard-hitting lines that pay homage to the rapper’s hometown of Watts, California.

The artist has been teasing the release of “Eastside” for a few months on Instagram, and he recently cleared out his entire feed aside from just nine posts, which could be a hint that there is more new music coming soon. Last week, the rapper commemorated Redemption‘s fifth anniversary with a post reading, “Eastside be the Mecca b*tch don’t ever get it backwards.” Notably, Redemption came just three years after Rock’s sophomore album, 90059, which played a pivotal role in establishing his career as both a solo artist and clever collaborator.

Jay Rock’s “Eastside” is available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music.

Elsewhere in music, Lil Uzi Vert announced the release date for Pink Tape.