GRiZ Releases Fifth Studio Album, Ride Waves

GRiZ enlisted Wiz Khalifa, Snoop Dogg, DRAM, and more for his new album.

Author:: Cameron Sunkel
Publish date:: Apr 5, 2019

Jason Siegel

GRiZ has dropped his fifth studio-length album, his first album in nearly two and a half years. Ride Waves is GRiZ's biggest album offering to date, with a list of collaborators impossible to ignore.

GRiZ's sound has always been defined by a large scope of sonic influences from funk to hip-hop, and obviously, electronic. Ride Waves continues to feel exploratory from a production perspective, but the Michigan-born producer is increasingly making the leap into mainstream hip-hop. The midwest native completely changed his context in the making of this album.

GRiZ (real name Grant Kwiecinski) spent time in New York to record with the Harlem Gospel Choir, worked with a children's choir on Chicago's south side, and even spent time in New Orleans. The diverse inspiration attracted an equally bountiful list of collaborators including Wiz Khalifa, DRAM, Snoop Dogg, Matisyahu, and more.

Ride Waves comes just months after GRiZ broke a prolonged hiatus from music and social media. It has undoubtedly been a series of ups and downs for the producer who has not only pushed his career forward with the release of his album, but used his platform to make a charitable impact.

Last year, celebrating Giving Tuesday, GRiZ partnered with Dan Savage's foundation It Gets Better which aims to support youth members of the LGBTQIA community. The continued partnership is spotlighted by GRiZ's single with DRAM of the same name.

Listen to GRiZ's defining new album Ride Waves, out now.