Photo by Will Diamond

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New year. New music. New conversations.

Starting 2026 strong, we caught up with .idk. to break down his upcoming mixtape, Even The Devil Smiles. From themes and sonics to product design and the bigger vision behind the rollout, we covered it all.

Pre-order now at e-t-d-s.com or Rhymesayers.com

Out everywhere Friday, January 23rd.

RSE: You recently announced the producers on this mixtape, featuring notable names like Madlib, Conductor Williams, No I.D., and Kaytranada. How did these collaborations impact the direction of the project?

IDK: A lot of this project started out as a personal side quest on each producer. They were all supposed to be individual projects at first.. then I realized they all had a similar characteristic and a lot of those producers hadn't been on one album together so then I realized how special it could be to almost take the Illmatic approach.

Even The Devil Smiles - Out Jan. 23rd - Artwork by Mother Marygold.

RSE: As an artist, you’ve shown real stylistic range, rapping over boom bap, trap, and even more dance/EDM-inspired production. Is that versatility an intentional part of your creative process? And how does e.t.d.s. fit into that?

IDK: The versatility used to be an intentional part of my creative process, but after a while, I started falling in love with being versatile on certain projects as opposed to within certain projects. Sonically every song on this record fits within the same vibe. Dark, smoky, aggressive and melancholy. And the biggest thing that I wanted to do is rap my ass off the entire time.

Photo by Alfi Moss -White

"I give less of a fuck about impressing people than I ever have in my life. All I wanted to do was impress myself, and hopefully within that I impress my fans."

e.t.d.s - Special Edition Gatefold Vinyl

RSE: The e.t.d.s. physical music and apparel collection includes some unexpected pieces, including a special e.t.d.s.-branded CD player. Can you share any insight into the idea behind it and how it came together?

IDK: The CD Player reminded me of a futuristic higher-quality version of what I would've received in prison to listen to my music. In prison, all of the items are transparent in order to protect inmates from hiding contraband. Turning the transparent Cd Player into an actual merch item is me taking back the power and ultimately time back to the concept of the project. For me all of the physical items are about creating an experience that most other artists wouldn't take the time to create.

RSE: Now that e.t.d.s. marks your 12th full-length project, how do you feel you’ve evolved as an artist up to this point?

IDK: I give less of a fuck about impressing people than I ever have in my life. All I wanted to do was impress myself, and hopefully within that I impress my fans.

e.t.d.s CD Player

RSE: What do you hope fans or potential new ones take away from this project?

IDK: A more detailed piece of the story I've been telling for years.

RSE: Any shoutouts?

IDK: GOD

Even The Devil Smiles a Mixtape by .idk will be out everywhere next Friday, January 23rd. See the whole collection and pre-order at the links below.

SHOP - E.T.D.S

.idk. - Even The Devil Smiles

Collection

SHOP - E.T.D.S

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