LISTEN: Jelly Roll Teams Up with Big Sean and Lil Wayne for Vulnerable New Song, ‘Sharks’, from ‘Tha Carter VI’

Jelly Roll has been dropping some blockbuster collaborations of late, including link-ups with chart-toppers such as Alex Warren (‘Bloodline’), Shaboozey (‘Amen’), Brandon Lake (‘Hard Fought Hallelujah’) and Snoop Dogg (‘Last Dance With Mary Jane’).

But we would hedge a bet that the ‘Need a Favor’ hitmaker's latest titanic collaboration might take the cake, with Jelly Roll appearing on Lil Wayne's new album, Tha Carter VI.

Weezy's line of The Carter records have become one of the most revered album series in modern music, with some wondering if the legendary rapper would call it quits after The Carter V dropped in 2018, seven years after the fourth instalment.

It's been another seven years, but rest assured Tha Carter VI is well worth the wait. While it doesn't feature the rumoured Young Money reunion, with Drake and Nicki Minaj not appearing on the tracklist, the project includes an eclectic guest-list that ranges from Jelly, Big Sean, BigXthaPlug and MGK to Andrea Bocelli and Bono.

Jelly Roll lends his vocals to one of the early stand-outs from Tha Carter VI, ‘Sharks’, which also features a fiery, quick-fire verse from one of rap's leading wordsmiths, Big Sean.

The introspective, vulnerable offering pivots around Jelly Roll's powerful chorus, during which he broodingly croons, “Snakes ain't always in the grass / Sharks ain't always in the water / Thieves ain't always in the night / God ain't always at the altar / I learned to live with one eye open / Takes gettin' bitten couple times to know that / Snakes ain't always in the grass / And sharks ain't always in the water”.

As we would expect from a track that features both Lil Wayne and Big Sean, ‘Sharks’ is packed with punchlines and double-entendres, with each MC showcasing their lyrical dexterity. At the end of his verse, Wayne even name-checks Jelly Roll with the amusing, tongue-in-cheek quip, “I ain't gon' hold ya, I Jelly Roll ya”.

Jelly Roll's vocals are permeated by the soul-stirring, bittersweet ambience he laces throughout his 2024 album, Beautifully Broken, with the ‘Son of a Sinner’ crooner once again reminding listeners why he has become one of today's most sought-after artists.

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