Seasoned EDM expert Skrillex and Chicago’s Vic Mensa have teamed up to deliver their explosive new track No Chill. Produced by both Skrillex and Jahlil Beats, the song made its official premiere on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 show, the fledging radio offshoot division of Apple’s new streaming service Apple Music.
The premiere represents just one of the many times Apple has debuted brand new content from prominent artists on new platform in an attempt to attract more users. So far it has had contributions from Drake, M.I.A, Pharrell and Eminem.
Despite Apple Music getting its hand on the official debut of the song, this isn’t the first time the track has been heard: one month previously Mensa teased the track during a live performance at LA’s Echoplex, describing the experience of its performance as “whoever got their camera on and shit.”
It may seem like an unlikely combination at first, but marrying Vic Mensa’s lyricism with Skrillex’s production skills makes for a potent collab. Having gradually stepped away from the genre that made him so famous, this is the latest in Skrillex, real name Sonny Moore’s, non-dubstep releases.
Teaming up with Vic Mensa (who we interviewed earlier this year) was a smart move and doesn’t represent his only shift: His collaboration with Diplo to form the duo Jack Ü yielded worldwide hit Where Are Ü Now featuring insouciant man-child Justin Bieber.
Mensa hasn’t been doing too badly either; he joined forces with self-proclaimed god of everything Kanye West and surefire collaboration hit-maker Sia Furler on West’s track Wolves; Mensa and West even performed it on Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special.
As for what the future holds for Mensa and Skrillex? The two will head out on the Mad Decent Block Party tour later this month. Skrillex will perform by himself and with Diplo as a part of Jack Ü, alongside Tyler, The Creator, Alison Wonderland and more. Mensa will also play at the Made in America festival in Philadelphia this September.