This past Friday, Toronto duo 88GLAM, consisting of Derek Wise and 88 Camino, dropped their first release since departing from XO Records/Republic Records.
After rumours of the group breaking up circulated earlier in the year, and their second studio album Close to Heaven Far from God missed it’s expected April 2020 release, 88GLAM has gone independent and their first official release as an indie outfit is the surprise 18-track mixtape New Mania.
The pair confirmed their departure from XO in a recent interview with Complex. While they were hesitant to provide any real details of the split, they did confirm their was no bad blood between them.
88GLAM (Photo: Instagram)
“Those are like the big bros right there,” Wise told Complex. “I was talking to La Mar [Taylor, XO’s creative director] the other day. There’s definitely no bad blood, there’s no tensions, nothing like that. It’s like literally family.”
There’s lots of speculation, especially on the Reddit forum dedicated to the group, but ultimately 88GLAM is maintaining a positive outlook on the experience with XO, and what lies ahead.
“They are a huge reason as to why we’re even in the position we are today.”
They’ve also embraced their newfound independence, and the creative flexibility that comes with it.
As Camino explained: “You have to be more than an artist, you have to be a businessman. You have to really be going out there and making opportunities for yourself, and that’s something that I sort fell back on. But I’m really excited to do that again, and it’s not even something you should really lose when you get signed to a major label.”
New Mania features a lone guest appearance with East London-born rapper Yxng Bane sliding in on track 5, “Brand New.”
You can find the new project on various digital streaming platforms including Apple Music, Spotify, and TIDAL.
You can follow @88GLAM on Instagram.
