Valee & MVW Release A New Refined Chapter In Their Collaborative Union With New Album ‘Where Were We’
VALEE & MVW RELEASE A NEW REFINED CHAPTER IN THEIR COLLABORATIVE UNION WITH NEW ALBUM ‘WHERE WERE WE’
“WHERE WE WERE” FEATURES COLLABORATIONS WITH BOLDY JAMES, CHUCK INGLISH, Z MONEY & NIONTAY
Chicago rapper Valee and producer/composer MVW reconnect for their second full-length collaboration, WHERE WERE WE, which is now available at all DSP’s. The project marks a continuation—and expansion—of the creative bond that fueled their 2023 album VALEEdation, a release that reestablished Valee’s position as one of rap’s most innovative stylists.
In recent coverage, Stereogum noted that Valee is “once again operating at peak capacity” and highlighted the way the duo “really seem to get each other.” WHERE WERE WE is a deliberate next step for two artists building a shared world. The title WHERE WERE WE carries a double meaning. On one level, it asks the listener: Where were we the first time you heard this album? At the same time, it speaks to the artists themselves, answering the question: Where were we—right where we left off. A continuation, picking the thread back up with clarity and focus.
WHERE WERE WE has a distinct collaborative energy built on Valee’s unmistakable delivery—unrushed, precise, and quietly disruptive—set against MVW’s focused, minimal, and acoustically driven production. The pair push further into their own lane: controlled, spacious, and built around intention rather than density. Lead single “Danish” set the framework early, powered by a looping, hypnotic string line and Valee’s sharp, unbothered cadence, including his now-circulating aside. Across the LP, MVW shapes a sound rooted in acoustic precision and instrumental clarity, recorded professionally with an emphasis on timbre, physical presence, and negative space. The album blends soul and trap foundations with a classical sense of restraint, with the production featuring these key moments:
- Minimal, chamber-style strings on “Danish,” creating a tense, hypnotic cycle that drives the track’s motion.
- Piano-based loops across “ALL DAT,” “SAME TIME,” “CREW NECK,” and “NOT YET PT. 2,” each built from clean, repeating motifs that shift subtly in tone and emphasis.
- Vibraphone textures on “SLO MO,” giving the track a floating, glass-bright atmosphere.
- An extended acoustic piano outro on “TEN MILLY,” towards the close of the album with a long-form, live, expressive performance that plays like a coda to the entire project.
Every piece of instrumentation is played live, captured with high fidelity, and arranged with a composer’s discipline. The beats are sparse but intentional; the space is the point.
While the foundation is trap and soul, the album’s identity comes from its attention to texture, clarity, and instrumental character. Valee moves through these environments with the same effortless control that first made him a cult figure. MVW’s production narrows the frame so that every detail: every note, every pause, every shift in the room carries weight. WHERE WERE WE arrives as a statement of two artists returning to a shared vision, refining it, and pushing it forward without losing its simplicity or its edge.
Valee is a visionary rapper known for his unconventional style and infectious energy. With his distinctive lyrical delivery and unwavering commitment to artistic exploration, Valee
has become a transformative force within the rap landscape. What sets Valee apart is his artistic evolution over the past few years, which has been meticulously honed alongside
one of his core producers, MVW. Together, they have crafted a distinctive sound that fuses contemporary classical influences with refined melodies, elevating the sonic tapestries of
trap music.
MVW’s expertise in contemporary classical composition shines through as he weaves together intricate arrangements, showcasing his ability to meld genres seamlessly. Having studied classical music at New York University and under La Monte Young (one of the most revered American minimalist composers) and Bunita Marcus, Waller has also released three full LPs of classical compositions under his full name, Michael Vincent Waller, including Moments, which received a 7.8 from Pitchfork. MVW has worked with other innovative rappers such as TiaCorine, Xavier Wulf, Lil Gotit, Matt Ox, and Zelooperz. Bandcamp recently featured him in an article describing his art as “a luminous and personal body of work that combines repetition… and an enigmatic and fascinating sense of contemplation.”
Valee & MVW’s WHERE WERE WE is now available at all DSP’s via MVW Productions /Fake Shore Drive.
You can now purchase, stream, add and favorite WHERE WERE WE at your preferred DSP: https://riveting.ffm.to/where_were_we
For More Information:
Follow Valee:
https://www.instagram.com/valee/
Follow MVW:
https://twitter.com/MichaelVWaller
https://www.instagram.com/michaelvwaller/
