The 24-year-old Atlantan eccentric Zukenee claims he’s bringing “authenticity” back to the rap game—except his whole thing is cosplaying as a medieval knight. BLUNTS & BLADES , his fourth full-length album of 2026, is the newest entry in his ongoing project of reimaging himself as a disillusioned paladin wandering the gothic wasteland of modern-day Atlanta—post- T.I. , Gucci Mane , and Jeezy , post- Whole Lotta Red , post-YSL RICO trial—trying to piece it all back together almost singlehandedly. It’s his best work to date, a jolt of inspiration that deprioritizes the sword-and-shield shtick and redirects focus to his songwriting and raw rapping ability.

The new record reveals a deep reverence for an acutely lyrical branch of Atlanta rap. Zukenee matches the verbal acrobatics of the incarcerated Peewee Longway with the larger-than-life stylings of the late Young Scooter, sometimes dropping his voice and employing a measured, singsong cadence reminiscent of another late Atlanta legend, Trouble .…