KOTTONMOUTH KINGS are back in motion.
The Southern California rap-rock pioneers have released California Burning, a new EP that kicks off the next phase of the band’s three-decade run through the underground. Released through Kottonmouth ReKordz and distributed by Virgin Music Group, the project serves as both a reset and a statement of intent.
For longtime fans, the lineup remains anchored by D-Loc, Judge D, Taxman, and Chucky Chuck. Behind the scenes, the operation has undergone a major rebuild, with five of the group’s original producers back in the fold, including Mike Kumagai, D-Loc, Judge D, Steve Dang, and Jim Perkins.
“This is where we came from, where we’re at, and where we’re headed,” D-Loc says. “The fans are going to feel this one deep.”
The EP arrives ahead of a full-length album scheduled for August 2026 and captures a band looking forward rather than backward.
“After 30 years in the underground, this one feels different,” D-Loc says. “California Burning is the beginning of a brand new chapter for us — our first EP release through our new label partnership with Virgin Music Group. We poured everything into this record… the chaos, the rebuilding, the growth, the fire, and the future.”
The title track finds Judge D taking aim at California’s current state.
“We love our state and our people, and we’re tired of watching it burn literally and figuratively,” he says.
Thirty years after helping define the rip-hop sound, KOTTONMOUTH KINGS aren’t interested in nostalgia. California Burning points toward the future — and the Kings sound ready for the fight.
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