Ryder has dropped his new EP titled ‘RYDERHOOD 2’. Listening through this EP feels like bumping into someone cool at a party who won’t quit talking about the week they just had. There’s an approachable imperfection to Ryder’s production that’s part DIY charm and part deliberate aesthetic. The beats tap their feet in places you don’t expect and the features — particularly Louis Culture and the rest of the roster — give each track a distinct personality without turning it into a messy compilation. It’s the kind of project that doesn’t need to shout to be noticed; it just quietly knows its vibe.
Swaying from the intro and moving quickly into ‘Running Gums’ featuring Louis Culture, the EP immediately sets its stall as something that’s happy to riff on indie sensibilities with a hip-hop swagger. Running Gums quickly became a favorite for me because it’s deceptively catchy; it’ll sneak up on you with a playful rhythm and then hit you with a lyrical twist about growing pains that feels both personal and oddly universal. The production balances bright melodic stabs with something almost introspective underneath — like a party where everyone’s enjoying themselves but still thinking about their ex.
Then there’s ‘Hot Rocks’ with Rushy which leans further into an alt-flavored beat without losing the project’s core streetwise pulse. This track is where the EP’s ambitions show their teeth: there’s a willingness to play with structure and tempo that could feel scattergun if it were from a less confident producer. Instead it works because Ryder doesn’t just stitch sounds together; he lets them breathe and flirt with each other. Hot Rocks stands out for its ability to keep you nodding while you try and figure out where the track wants to go next.
The middle of the EP, with skits and ‘Gimme’, feels like the point where Ryder is having fun in the producer’s chair. These aren’t filler moments; they’re intentional shots of character that remind you this isn’t some sterile pop product. It’s messy and thoughtful and ego-less in all the right ways. You can tell Ryder enjoys letting the odd imperfect note hang in the air — it’s almost like he’s winking at listeners who are paying attention.
Toward the end ‘My Lady’ slides in with a mellow groove that tones things down without losing momentum. It’s a nice contrast to the earlier energy, like a breath in the middle of a conversation that was half shout, half confession. ‘Mission Impossible’ closes things with a bit of playful bravado and subtle complexity that lingers — the kind of track that makes you hit replay once before you even realize you’re doing it.
In the end ‘Ryderhood 2’ might not be a masterclass in precision, but that’s partly the point. It’s an EP that wears its influences on its sleeve while carving out its own corner of sound with grit and personality. ‘Running Gums’ and ‘Hot Rocks’ are the highlights that convince you Ryder’s not just experimenting for the sake of it — he’s building a world worth coming back to. It’s not flawless, but it’s confidently weird in all the ways that matter.
Check out what we said about the previous EP HERE.
About Ryder & ‘RYDERHOOD 2’
‘RYDERHOOD 2’ continues the Hull-born, London-based producer’s trilogy of genre-bending releases, featuring collaborations with Louis Culture, JayG, Dré Six, Skit, and rising east London rapper YT.
The EP’s focus track “My Lady” teams Ryder with East London-born singer Dré Six—best known for collaborating with Skepta on “All Alone” and whose collaborative album with German multi-platinum artists KITSCHKRIEG dropped in 2025 featuring UK rap heavyweight Morrison. The single “Slipping Away” also features Kenzo Str8Drop, with the album’s haunting melodies and trap beats setting the backdrop for Dré Six’s poignant storytelling about urban struggles and personal conflict—an electrifying mix of melody, pop, and futuristic sounds that offers a fresh and distinctive take on both UK and global music.
“No idea what genre this is, but it does the job,” Ryder says with characteristic understatement.
The collaboration exemplifies Ryder’s refusal to be boxed into any single sound—creating what he describes as “avant-garde sounds that have soul, that don’t always fit into a strictly 4×4 template.” On “My Lady,” Dré Six’s melodic storytelling meets Ryder’s unpredictable production architecture, resulting in a track that defies easy categorization whilst remaining deeply compelling.
“#RYDERHOOD, we’re back,” Ryder declares.
Building the Trilogy
‘RYDERHOOD 2’ is the second instalment in Ryder’s year-long trilogy (May 2025 – June 2026). “The whole idea behind this trilogy is bringing artists into a different world than they’d usually reside in,” Ryder explains. “In terms of how my sound has evolved from the first instalment to the second and third, I’ve wanted to place more focus on music that makes you move, music that can be enjoyed communally.”
The EP features an impressive roster of collaborators beyond Dré Six: Louis Culture on lead single “Running Gums” (January 2026)—a collaboration three years in the making that captures the duality of angst and vulnerability—alongside JayG, Skit, and rising east London rapper YT (who appears on “What’s The Word,” a track laid down in approximately 30 minutes during a Tottenham studio session).
Critical Acclaim and What’s Next
The 21-year-old’s debut ‘RYDERHOOD’ earned acclaim from Clash, Complex, NME, The Face, and Metal Magazine, with radio support from BBC 6 Music, Radio 1, and 1Xtra. The trilogy concludes with ‘RYDERHOOD 3’ (June 2026), featuring Jamaican R&B star J’Calm, Tai Funds, Ojerime, and N4T.
Drawing from influences like J Dilla, Labi Siffre, Moby, and Kanye, Ryder has built a reputation for working with artists he genuinely loves listening to. From pirating music software on an eBay laptop at age 11 in Hull to collaborating with some of London’s most exciting emerging artists, Ryder has positioned himself as one of the UK’s most versatile young producers—creating music that refuses to be pigeonholed, yet always “does the job.”
LINKS:
https://www.instagram.com/ryderwho/
https://www.instagram.com/dre6xs/
https://linktr.ee/ryderwho_