For years Jack Red and his distinctive voice have been the secret ingredient in Chicago’s new soul-infused, experimental hip-hop sound. His supporting vocals work their magic on the upbeat “Lovely Day” from Vic Mensa’s 2013 mixtape, Innanetape, and in 2015 he was part of the all-star cast that joined Donnie Trumpet and Chance the Rapper on the masterful album Surf. You can hear Red flex his range on “Wanna Be Cool” and “Sunday Candy,” the latter of which he performed with Chance on Saturday Night Live last year.
“Sometimes” is just a snippet of what will be a wide-ranging project. Red plans to talk about more than just the hard work of marriage—he also wants to incorporate conversations he has with himself and his friends about romance, commitment, and Chicago’s violence. He hopes his positivity can help undo some of the negative mainstream stereotypes about black men.
“Are we as men really loyal? Can we be honest and say I’m not married because I don’t know how to be married, or I’m not married because I’m not strong enough to make the commitment necessary?” Red asks.
