Despite serving time in prison, Sacramento, California rapper X-Raided is laying the groundwork for a series of upcoming projects.
In a statement issued from Pleasant Valley State Prison, X-Raided confirmed that he will release another installment of his Unforgiven series with his forthcoming album Eternally Unforgiven.
According to the rapper, the album has been mixed and mastered and will be comprised of “124 percent new songs, new beats, new rhymes.”
“All we’re doing right now is getting the artwork done,” X-Raided revealed to AllHipHop.com in a statement. “That will pop up in a minute. Maybe two or three more weeks. I’m trying to go as fast as possible.”
Eternally Unforgiven is the first of three new Unforgiven albums to come from X-Raided.
The material is the result of a new deal between the rapper, Walter Zelnick and City Hall Records.
Zelnick, a longtime fixture in the music distribution business, proved to be a natural partner for the new alliance, as X-Raided voiced his respect for the music executive.
“Walter Zelnick has had my back on the low for years now, while everyone else has been praying for my downfall,” X-Raided revealed. “So when it was time to put it all on the table, I went to Walter Zelnick and he gave me what I asked for. I got the budget, the advance, and everything else I needed in order to do my s**t, Bloc Star Entertainment and City Hall Records, Northern California 100 percent underground s###.”
Among those collaborating with X-Raided for the new projects are producer Filthy Rich, who crafted beats for Eternally Unforgiven and is set to produce Unforgiven 2 and 3.
The first Unforgiven album was released while the rapper was in prison in 1999.
X-Raided was sentenced to more than 30 years behind bars for a 1992 murder, after lyrics to one of the songs from his 1995 album Xorcist helped garner his conviction.
The rapper was charged with first degree murder and gang-related homicide.
According to X-Raided, At All Costs and From the Block to the Booth were released this year with his approval, despite rumblings of the albums coming out without the entertainer’s consent.
“Just to clear the air, yes, I authorized the release of these projects. There is nothing and never will be anything that comes out through Bloc Star that wasn’t authorized by me. Everyone can bank on that,” X-Raided said. “I’m in full control of this company, and whoever I’ve delegated authority for whatever legal reasons, they are doing what I want done or they’re fired.”
X-Raided’s Eternally Unforgiven is slated to come out in April 2009.