Rags (EP)

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Rags is the third EP by American hip-hop duo EarthGang. It was released on August 31, 2017, after their signing to Dreamville, and is the first part of a planned trilogy that will lead to their debut album Mirrorland. The EP was recorded from 2015 to 2017, runs 24 minutes, and blends conscious hip hop, southern hip hop, and neo-soul. It was released by Spillage Village and Empire Distribution, with executive production by J. Cole and Ibrahim Hamad. Other producers include Anonxmous, Childish Major, Elite Hollywood, JB, and Ron Gilmore. Guests on the project are JID, Childish Major, and Mick Jenkins.

EarthGang first met J. Cole in 2014 while touring with Ab-Soul, and their manager noted that Cole was impressed by them. After releasing Strays with Rabies in 2015 and touring with Bas in 2016, Dot and Venus started working on a deconstructed album that would become these three EPs, building up to Mirrorland. The EP features a guest appearance from JID, with a music video for the track “Meditate” (featuring JID) released the same day as the EP.

Rags received positive reviews. Creative Loafing’s Montana Samuels described it as a thoughtful look at Black life in America, rather than a direct political statement.