Ralo Unleashes "97 Months" Project Ft. Jadakiss & More

Ralo unveils his latest body of work ft. Jadakiss, Rowdy Rebel & more.

BYAron A.
ralo-97-monthsralo-97-months

We’re still counting down the days until Ralo comes home. Since 2018, the rapper’s remained behind bars related to drug trafficking charges. However, he hasn’t allowed his incarceration to slow down his musical output. The rapper returned to the fold this weekend with the official release of 97 Months. His new mixtape boasts 9 songs in total with several high-profile features. Jadakiss appears on the previously released “Street Honors,” while Rowdy Rebel joins him on “Prison Everyday.” Additional features include rising Atlanta rapper Hunxho, Rotimi, and De’rez De’Shon.

Ralo announced the project’s release earlier this month along with a photo of his daughter. He said that he wasn’t able to touch his daughter in the past five years since his arrest but he explained that he found a new sense of purpose as a rapper. “I never called myself a rapper due to the lame shit that goes on in the industry, but I can now honesty say I'm thankful for the rap game, because it helped me take care of my daughter and more my entire bid,” he explained in the statement.

Ralo Drops 97 Months

The rapper was formally sentenced to 8 years in prison in 2022 for his alleged role in the criminal conspiracy and drug trafficking case. However, he received credit for time served and still hopes that this chapter of his life will be put in the past sooner rather than later. “He was recommended 1 year ankle monitor after the halfway house approve his home address; which will bring him home to us late next year, but our goal is for him to complete his GED or RDAP Drug program so we can get another year off his sentence,” a post on his Instagram page.

Ralo received significant support from the hip-hop community during his incarceration. While plenty of rappers have shouted him out on wax, Lil Baby, for instance, gifted him $50K. Outside of Atlanta, Ralo earned support from Drake, Meek Mill, Killer Mike, and more who signed an open letter to Joe Biden advocating for his release. We’re excited for Ralo to come home and return to his career. Check out his new mixtape, 97 Months, above and sound off with your thoughts in the comments. 

  • Link Copied to Clipboard!
About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.