Welcome to Leather Blvd. A Black utopia conceived by B. Cool-Aid—the duo of vocalist Pink Siifu and producer Ahwlee (pronounced “Ali”) — that is populated by an ensemble cast of characters and collaborators and is the title of their new album, the duo’s second full-length since their 2017 debut BRWN.

The B. Cool Aid story began in 2015 when Long Beach, Calif. native Ahwlee first met Pink Siifu, via producer/artist Mndsgn. Since then, the two have released dozens of solo projects, but their partnership as B. Cool-Aid has been essential to their developing musicianship. “Fuckin’ with Liv [Siifu], let me delve more into songwriting and structures and opened my mind up to workin’ on music-music, beyond just a beat,” Ahwlee explains. For Pink Siifu, B. Cool-Aid is the home base for his multifaceted creativity: “It’s dope because B. Cool-Aid don’t sound like nothin’ else [I do],” he says.

Siifu and Ahwlee accomplish their musical feats with the help of their equally talented friends. The people we come across on our walk down the boulevard are a diverse list of collaborators spanning genres, regions, and generations, including Butcher Brown, Ladybug Mecca, V.C.R, Liv.e, MoRuf, Quelle Chris, Nita Darling, Big Rube, Jimetta Rose, Devin Morrison, Foushée, and others. Whether rookie or vet, singer or rapper, all of the players come together in a world that represents what Ahwlee describes as “the whole spectrum of Blackness.”