It's Hip Hop's Birthday: GRYSKLL Marks Five Years With a Double EP Vinyl Pressing and New Single

The cross country collective marks five years with a double EP vinyl pressing and new single release

MD, UNITED STATES, August 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- GRYSKLL is a Hip Hop & Creative Wellness collective that has called itself “the Expendables of Hip Hop” since its founding. The multistate, cross country crew expanded from 6 to 16 members since they released their first single, “Butterscotch Linens,” on Hip Hop’s birthday in 2021. This August 11, GRYSKLL marks five years with the announcement of its first vinyl pressing and a new single.

GRYSKLL is on the verge of releasing its first vinyl pressing, a rare double EP pairing “A Tension Deficit,” Episode 1 in The GRYSKLL Saga, with “The Interlude,” Episode 0. Two chapters of The GRYSKLL Saga, on one record. Vinyl availability will be announced at GRYSKLL.com, on Patreon, and on GRYSKLL’s social media. Two new pieces have also landed in the shop, The Beauty Limited Edition Collectible Tee and the GRYSKLL Bitch Tee, each bundled with a vinyl pre-order.

Five of GRYSKLL’s six founding members are featured across the two EPs, along with Qthulu, who joined the crew in its second wave of recruitment. A Tension Deficit features production by Dragon’s Pitchfork, Qthulu, and Zo the Instrument Being, with vocals from deMond dUshawn, Zo the Instrument Being, Qthulu, and Yani (“The Ghost of GRYSKLL”), plus a DJ T-Bear 183 contribution on “Bleeding Out.”

The momentum extends beyond the vinyl. deMond dUshawn, featured on A Tension Deficit, is currently in regular rotation on SiriusXM with “D.R.E.A.M.,” featuring The Black Mavericks.

“A Tension Deficit was a declaration. It’s dedicated to every artist who felt overlooked, burned out, or alienated from the culture that helped raise so many. This anniversary is evidence that we’re doing the right thing in continuing to build for the culture and sanity’s sake.”
~GRYSKLL

The Interlude features 1.to.Dial of The Black Mavericks as the sole vocalist aside from Aïda, over beats by Dragon’s Pitchfork. Qthulu insisted on mixing the project and ended up co-producing it alongside Dragon’s Pitchfork and 1.to.Dial. All three served as Executive Producers on The Interlude, while Dragon’s Pitchfork and Qthulu take on that role for A Tension Deficit.

Qthulu’s mixing, mastering, and co-production reshaped GRYSKLL’s sound. For the vinyl pressing, he remastered the double EP in full and had verses from two songs re-recorded altogether, making this version essentially a different album in several ways. Qthulu opened a new studio space this May, which contributed to the project’s revamped vibe.

Dragon’s Pitchfork, GRYSKLL’s Co-Founder, provided beats for all of The Interlude and most of A Tension Deficit. He is also a founding member of the Wu-Tang Killa Bee collective Tha Beggas (aka The Beggaz / The Beggarz). GRYSKLL and Tha Beggas formalized their collaboration through the GRYSKLL Meets Tha Beggas series, positioning GRYSKLL as a second generation extension of the Wu-Tang lineage, built through lived connection rather than legacy alone.

Fortifying the Physical Catalog
This vinyl pressing marks the second piece of music GRYSKLL has released for physical collection, following WGRY, a mixtape released on cassette this summer as one of the items inside GRYSKLL’s prototype CSTL Capsules. It builds on Summer Soulstice, the crew’s first intentional collection drop, with a Fall collection in development. GRYSKLL is fortifying its physical collectibles catalog this year, with vinyl as the newest addition.

The Beauty
GRYSKLL is also celebrating its anniversary by releasing “The Beauty,” an ode to the crew. The single was conceptualized and initiated by GRYSKLL’s sixth co-founder, Tobias Black, who is also 1.to.Dial’s rhyme partner in The Black Mavericks. The track began with an AI-generated hook written by Tobias Black. The crew brought in three singers and an engineer to replace it, pitting artist against algorithm. “The Beauty” releases at GRYSKLL.com, on Bandcamp, and on Patreon, with the original AI demo available exclusively on Patreon. Watch GRYSKLL’s Patreon for the backstory.

About GRYSKLL
GRYSKLL is a Hip Hop & Creative Wellness collective rooted in the belief that self mastery is accessible through creative practice. Grounded in the authentic traditions of Hip Hop’s five elements, MCing, DJing, B-Boying, Graffiti Art, and Knowledge, GRYSKLL develops programs, initiatives, and artistic works that use the culture as a framework for emotional and psychological wellness. Since forming, the collective has called itself “the Expendables of Hip Hop,” representing artists who faced adversity in the music industry and emerged empowered, inspiring others to do the same.

Nathan Johnson
GRYSKLL, LLC
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Butterscotch Linens