{"id":23681,"date":"2025-05-21T21:19:06","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T21:19:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/hiphopmagizine\/grand-agent-unleashes-long-awaited-sequel-by-design-2\/"},"modified":"2025-05-21T21:19:06","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T21:19:06","slug":"grand-agent-unleashes-long-awaited-sequel-by-design-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/hiphopmagizine\/grand-agent-unleashes-long-awaited-sequel-by-design-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Grand Agent Unleashes Long-Awaited Sequel: By Design 2."},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt Hip Hop Magizine News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"9431463036\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">After more than two decades, hip-hop veteran Grand Agent returns with the powerhouse sequel to his groundbreaking debut, By Design. The much-anticipated follow-up, By Design 2 isn\u2019t just an album\u2014it\u2019s a call to action for the hip-hop community, shaped by Grand Agent\u2019s relentless work with PHILLY TRUCE.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Featuring an all-star lineup that includes Grand Puba (Brand Nubian), Cee Knowledge (Digable Planets), Tajai (Souls of Mischief\/Hieroglyphics), MC Breeze (Joey B. Ellis), Culture Freedom (Poor Righteous Teachers), and Planet Asia, the album transcends underground purism, delivering a message that resonates with the entire hip-hop culture.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=videoseries\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=videoseries<\/a><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=videoseries\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=videoseries<\/a><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Soundtrack to a New Hip-Hop Movement<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The production on By Design 2 is as diverse as its message. Longtime collaborators Tribeca, Prickly Pear, and Bjorn Von Kalt make their return, but the real sonic evolution comes from teaming up with LE Square, a Philly production legend known for inspiring his little cousin Pharell, and his work with Gillie Da Kid, and Sabbath, Grand Agent\u2019s son. The result is a richly layered album that effortlessly blends soulful boom-bap with pop-leaning anthems.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">One standout track, \u201cThe Finest,\u201d reimagines Jay-Z and Biggie\u2019s classic \u201cBrooklyn\u2019s Finest\u201d with Grand Agent and Planet Asia trading razor-sharp verses\u2014a nod to the original By Design while pushing forward with lyrical firepower. Then there\u2019s \u201cPhilly Truce,\u201d a fresh take on Snoop Dogg\u2019s \u201cGin &amp; Juice,\u201d reflecting Grand Agent\u2019s mission-driven work as the executive director of PHILLY TRUCE.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Bold Moves, Real Talk<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Never one to shy away from controversy, Grand Agent\u2019s fearless creativity shines on tracks like \u201cThank God I\u2019m a CityPHILLY TRUC Boy\u201d\u2014a reimagining of John Denver\u2019s hit\u2014and \u201cCan\u2019t Say Love Enough,\u201d an interpolation of the BlaPHILLY TRUCck National Anthem featuring his original rap group, NAME. Both tracks exemplify his ability to bridge genres and tackle iconic pieces through a hip-hop lens.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The most talked-about track? Undoubtedly, \u201cWhite People Do Your Job.\u201d Grand Agent addresses those who supported Trump, confronting their role in perpetuating harm to marginalized communities while offering a hopeful challenge to change the status quo.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A Hip-Hop Call to Arms<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201cThis album is for the entire Hip-Hop Nation\u2014not just the underground,\u201d says Grand Agent. \u201cIt\u2019s about making moves in this Trumpian world, just like we did when hip-hop took root during Reaganomics. Hip-hop has grown up\u2014we\u2019ve got millionaires, billionaires, and real power. It\u2019s time to act. This album is a rallying cry for bold, collective action.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The album drops on the heels of Grand Agent\u2019s 50th birthday, alongside his book, Brotherly Action: The Answer to Philadelphia\u2019s 341-Year-Old Prayer. It\u2019s more than music; it\u2019s a movement aligned with the PHILLY TRUCE FOUNDATION\u2019s mission to address gun violence and community healing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A New Era of Hip-Hop Leadership<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">With By Design 2, Grand Agent proves that his influence is not only intact but growing. The album blends sharp social commentary with introspective storytelling, making it both a musical and cultural statement. It\u2019s hip-hop leadership in action\u2014authentic, fearless, and unapologetically real.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201cIf you\u2019re part of the hip-hop nation, this is your album. It\u2019s our time, and we\u2019re making moves,\u201d Grand Agent declares.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">By Design 2 is available now on all major streaming platforms, with a deluxe edition slated for a Juneteenth release.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border-radius: 12px;\" src=\"https:\/\/rapindustry.com\/grand-agent-unleashes-long-awaited-sequel-by-design-2\/about:blank\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-rocket-lazyload=\"fitvidscompatible\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/79jSKXDbAMHOoyVEPw7Kj8?utm_source=generator\"><\/iframe><noscript><iframe style=\"border-radius: 12px;\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/79jSKXDbAMHOoyVEPw7Kj8?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;\" src=\"https:\/\/rapindustry.com\/grand-agent-unleashes-long-awaited-sequel-by-design-2\/about:blank\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" data-rocket-lazyload=\"fitvidscompatible\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/embed.music.apple.com\/us\/album\/by-design-2\/1813644128\"><\/iframe><noscript><iframe style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;\" src=\"https:\/\/embed.music.apple.com\/us\/album\/by-design-2\/1813644128\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\"><\/iframe><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt Hip Hop Magizine News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"9431463036\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After more than two decades, hip-hop veteran Grand Agent returns with the powerhouse sequel to his groundbreaking debut, By Design.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.2 - 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