.idk., the boundary-pushing artist known for his work as a rapper, producer, and cultural architect, has released his latest single, “S.T.F,” featuring the late DMX and produced by Kaytranada. The track marks the first posthumous collaboration approved by the Estate of Earl “DMX” Simmons, co-administered by Desiree Lindstrom and Sasha Simmons.
“S.T.F,” which stands for START 2 FiNISH, was first previewed during the LeBron James “Forever King Tour” in Shanghai earlier this month. The kinetic new single serves as a tribute to DMX, a longtime collaborator of .idk., who previously appeared on his acclaimed projects Is He Real and USee4Yourself.
“It means a lot to have artists like .idk. and Kaytranada tap into Earl’s energy and create something that is fresh and authentic to who he was,” said Lindstrom and Simmons. “He set this collaboration in motion before he passed, so it was important for us to see his vision become a reality.”
.idk. explained that the record traces back to a song he originally wrote for DMX in 2020 titled “Dream.” After rediscovering a beat from Kaytranada that he had once overlooked, .idk. reached out to DMX’s associate Pat Gallo, who shared vocals that fit seamlessly into the new track.
“Somewhere out there, the full DMX verse from the original record still exists,” .idk. shared. “But what you hear now is the piece that became ‘START 2 FiNISH – S.T.F.’”