We Speak Music

LIL TJAY COMING TO EUROPE FOR “THE PAST 2 PRESENT TOUR” WITH SPECIAL GUEST KEY GLOCK THIS OCTOBER

Published

2 years ago

July 25, 2024

Don Reed

KICKING OFF AT THE O2 ARENA ON THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS DEBUT ALBUM TRUE 2 MYSELF

Bronx-born, multi-platinum recording artist Lil Tjay, known for melodic rap tracks accumulating over 15 billion streams like the 8x Platinum “Pop Out” with Polo G, 6x Platinum “F.N,” and 6x Platinum “Calling My Phone” featuring 6LACK, just announced his upcoming Europe tour. Fans around the continent can catch him starting October 12 on his 8-date “The Past 2 Present Tour” featuring special guest Key Glock known for viral solo tracks like “Ambition For Cash,” “Since 6ix,” and collaborations like “Major” with his late cousin and Paper Route Empire records founder, Young Dolph. Joining them on tour is emerging Toronto-based R&B artist RealestK, known best for his viral single “WFM.” Tickets are on sale now HERE, with the exception of The O2 Arena show, which will go on sale Friday, July 26 at 10 AM BST.

‘The Past 2 Present Tour’ will kick off at London’s iconic The O2 Arena on the fifth anniversary of Lil Tjay’s double platinum debut studio album, True 2 Myself, which was released in October 2019. Featuring guest appearances from Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Lil Wayne, and others, the project debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart and helped launch his career. Fans in Europe can look forward to a nostalgic experience as they hear multi-platinum-certified hits from Tjay’s debut album like “F.N,” “Hold On,” and “Leaked.”

Lil Tjay burst onto the rap scene with a unique blend of swagger and lyrical prowess, quickly capturing the attention of millions. Following several multi-platinum albums and collaborations with Pop Smoke, Kid LaRoi, NBA Youngboy, Offset, French Montana, and Ice Spice, he’s accumulated over 15 billion global streams and accolades such as being featured in XXL’s Freshman Class of 2020 and Billboard’s 21 Under 21. His recent single, “June 22nd,” offers a raw, introspective look at the traumatic events leading up to him being shot, showcasing his euphonious voice and unique storytelling ability. This track is part of his latest album, 222, which highlights his artistic evolution since his platinum-certified 2021 release, Destined 2 Win.

Lil Tjay’s latest achievements have cemented his place in the rap world. His 2023 album 222 not only pushed the boundaries of his musical vulnerability and skill but also resonated deeply with audiences globally. The album’s success was followed by his highly-anticipated “The Good Life Tour” in 2024, featuring special guests Kalan.FrFr and Dina Ayada. This tour showcased Lil Tjay’s dynamic stage presence and ability to connect with fans, further solidifying his status as a major force in contemporary hip-hop.

Memphis-born rapper Key Glock will be the special guest on the tour where fans can expect to see him deliver his signature cold, stark, uncompromising verses. Key Glock is known for instant classic projects such as Yellow Tape and Yellow Tape 2 and two Dum and Dummer releases with his cousin and Paper Route Empire record label founder, Young Dolph. Coming off of his recent single “Big Big Money,” fans are highly-anticipating the release of his forthcoming project, GLOCKAVELI.

The Past 2 Present Tour will travel around the continent of Europe, starting at London’s iconic The O2 Arena then making its way through Amsterdam, Oslo, and Helsinki before taking over Brussels, Paris, Munich, and ending this leg in Berlin. With Tjay celebrating his debut album and having already released several singles in 2024 like “Told Ya,” “Good Life,” and “No No,” there’s no shortage of hits to hear on the Past 2 Present Tour this Fall.

LIL TJAY’S ‘THE PAST 2 PRESENT TOUR’ DATES

12/10/24 – London, UK – The O2 Arena

13/10/24 – Amsterdam, NL – AFAS Live

16/10/24 – Oslo, NO – Spektrum

17/10/24 – Helsinki, FI – Black Box

19/10/24 – Brussels, BE – Forest National

20/10/24 – Paris, FR – Zenith

23/10/24 – Munich, DE – Zenith

25/10/24 – Berlin, DE – Uber Eats Music Hall

We Speak Music

Michele Ducci teases new album with uplifting indie single ‘Woman Like You’

Published

24 hours ago

April 17, 2026

Don Reed

Michele Ducci has unveiled the second single, ‘Woman Like You’, from his forthcoming album and animated film ‘Snail in the Clouds’.

‘Woman Like You’ pairs bright distorted electric guitar with an electronic drumbeat, adding in Ducci’s soulful vocals and a catchy uplifting chorus with Letizia Mandoleisi’s sweet vocal harmonies. A vintage organ pedalboard operated by Ducci simultaneously generates chords, bass and rhythm, like a one-man band. Shane Kennedy (Girl in the Year Above) joins in on guitar. Simon Milner (Is Tropical, Ysing) recorded and produced the track at his 4am Studios in London.

The album and film tell the story of a planet called ‘Snail’, inhabited by hybrids – primarily a mixture between scorpions, snails and humans – who lead a life according to the style of Pythagoras, devoted to music. There is also a cloud man named Agostos, a writer of musical operettas, who together with a talking smoke machine called Doctor Subtilis, begins to kill all hybrids, targeting in particular the hybrid musician Diodoros and his band, in an effort to steal the ark of melodies, an ancient ship that allows the whole planet to survive with music and joy.

The video for the single, created and animated by Ducci and Mandoleisi, delves further into the realm of planet ‘Snail’:

Says Ducci, “The ark of melodies, after various attempts, finally starts to work and fly in the planet Snail, while the shady Doc. Sub. and Agostos, with their platoon of soldiers made of foggy smoke, spy the miracle, planning to steal the ark for their evil and tyrannical purposes.”

About the track, Michele says, “I wrote this song for my love Letizia. Love seen from the mind is the sound we make. Sound is the love of matter.

We used a Technics synthesizer organ from a flea market. I tried to find a mood that was right for the song and I started using the bass of the pedal board together with the synth and the drums, and it was magical to hear the song reveal itself all coming from a single instrument. Leti was singing with me and we recorded everything live in one shot. Then we made Shane do the guitar flight, as if he came out of the window. The idea was to maintain disproportions, guitar thrust and synth drum thinness a la Haroumi Hosono, so as to create an estrangement, but naturally: it’s about how I listen, with close up something that captures me in its nuance as element of a larger orchestra somewhere. I’m glad we decided in the studio with Simon to use the layers of arrangement as the close-ups in the cinema; they look like strange enlargements that perch on parts of a mutated orchestra. I’m happy to come back with this love song at a time when everything seems to opt, even my labor in managing the flows of selfishness that have poured out on me while doing this album, for the sound of war. I’m here happy to be able to say that the sound of love always wins as did for me. Snail in the clouds is one of the most important works in my life and I am glad to start from pure love for this album that is my son.”

The album and full-length film will be released on the 5^th of June on Monotreme Records.

Michele and Letizia’s previous musical short film, ‘The Great Book of Nature’, is an official selection for the 2026 Venice Shorts Film Festival.