The Jurassic 5 mastermind was full of praise for the bands upcoming new single release.
The reaction video, which features a teaser of the recently released acoustic version of ‘Judgement Day’, sees Chali 2NA react to as an yet unreleased Five Finger Death Punch song called ‘This Is The Way’ which features rapper DMX.
Offering up his thoughts on ‘This Is The Way ft. DMX’, Chali 2NA said, “To me, this is a smash. This is something that would be the best natural progression for DMX in my opinion. His voice was perfect for the instrumentation, the subject matter, everything just fit perfect. It was DMX, but just outside the Hip-Hop genre and I’m in love with the name Five Finger Death Punch. I hope this song blows up man because had he been alive he would have been able to take advantage of some realness.”
The track is set to feature on the bands deluxe edition of ‘AfterLife’ (2022) which is due to be released on Friday 5 April 2024.
The deluxe version includes the original 12 tracks recorded with the band’s longtime producer Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne) in addition to four bonus tracks: acoustic versions of the album’s songs ‘The End’, ‘Judgement Day’ and, ‘Thanks For Asking’. Fans can already stream the acoustic version of ‘Judgement Day’ and watch the official lyric video on YouTube.
The deluxe digital edition also includes a brand new song, ‘This Is The Way’ featuring the legendary late rapper DMX. The official music video for ‘This Is The Way’ (feat. DMX) will be directed by inluential filmmaker Hype Williams, a longtime friend and close collaborator of the late DMX.
Hailed by the New York Times in 2024 as ‘The Nineties Wunderkind’, Hype Williams is known for his seminal work with luminaries like Tupac, Wu-Tang Clan, and Jay-Z amongst others. The video, which was originally will be released coinciding with the deluxe edition of Afterlife” on Friday 5 April 2024.
Speaking on the collaboration with DMX, Five Finger Death Punch’s Zoltan Bathory said, “Music is meant to be shared, and it starts at the top with us, the artists. We have always embraced the mixing of genres, whether it be the remake of LL Cool J’s ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ featuring Tech N9ne as a guest or our collaboration with blues warrior Kenny Wayne Shepherd, country star Brantley Gilbert, and Brian May, the legendary guitarist of Queen, on the song ‘Blue On Black’.”
“The idea of collaborating with DMX had been in discussion for years, and it was a long and winding road to turn this particular item on our wish list into reality. He was a lyrical warrior, a true original who spoke his mind incorruptibly. We have always viewed DMX as ‘the metalhead of hip-hop’ because of his aggressive, raw, and untamed style. He growled and snarled, aiming to rattle some cages — an attitude we share, as Five Finger Death Punch has always been drawn to the fearless and the real. It made all the sense in the world, but today this is more than just a song; it’s a salute to a legend, a way to honor DMX’s memory.”
The deluxe version of ‘AfterLife’ is set to drop on Friday 5 April 2024. Five Finger Death Punch fans can pre-order/save the deluxe version of ‘AfterLife’ here.