Codefendants—the trio comprised of Sam King (Get Dead), Julio “Ceschi” Ramos, and NOFX’s Fat Mike—have announced their forthcoming studio album Lifers, set for release on April 3, 2026. Alongside the announcement, the trio have released a new single and video titled “Rivals,” featuring legendary hip-hop artist The D.O.C.
“Rivals” marks the second collaboration between Codefendants and The D.O.C., following the 2023 track “Fast Ones” from the band’s debut album This Is Crimewave. Known for his foundational role in West Coast hip hop, The D.O.C. famously collaborated with and co-wrote material for N.W.A., Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg, including contributions to Dre’s landmark debut The Chronic. On “Rivals,” he delivers the opening verse, bringing a gritty intensity that anchors the track’s heavier, hardcore-leaning sound.
The collaboration grew out of conversations between Fat Mike and The D.O.C. comparing punk and hip-hop’s parallel histories as countercultural movements. According to Mike, discussions about punk gangs of the 1980s—such as FFF, LADS, and Suicidals—sparked the lyrical direction of the song. The D.O.C., who sustained permanent vocal damage following a near-fatal car crash in 1989, addressed his distinctive rasp directly, stating, “Being a Codefendant is one of the best parts of making music today. They don’t give a shit what my voice sounds like as long as it’s on beat.”
Formed through a friendship between three artists from markedly different musical worlds, Codefendants blend punk, hip hop, alternative, and hardcore into a sound they call Crimewave. Sam King’s background in underground rap and punk fronting Get Dead, Ceschi’s genre-blurring mix of folk, hip hop, and punk, and Fat Mike’s four decades of songwriting and production experience form the foundation of the project. Mike produced Lifers, continuing his role from the debut while pushing the band toward unexpected musical territory.
Speaking about the new album, Fat Mike explained that his goal with Codefendants has been to write songs unlike anything he’s done before. “My main job is to change chord progressions and melodies,” he said. “I like my progressions to always be surprising to the listener.” He added that the transition into heavier material felt natural, noting that NOFX began as a hardcore band and frequently covered Boston hardcore acts early in their career.
Ceschi elaborated on the thematic core of “Rivals,” describing it as a response to gatekeeping within both punk and hip-hop scenes. “Since we started Codefendants, we’ve been confronted by people not understanding that we genuinely grew up in both of these worlds,” he said. The track draws inspiration from slower, sludgier early-’80s punk while lyrically addressing rivalry, credibility, and scene politics. Sam King, characteristically blunt, summed it up simply: “It’s fucking Codefendants with the D.O.C. It’s fucking dope.”
With Lifers, Codefendants promise an unpredictable follow-up to This Is Crimewave. According to Fat Mike, listeners can expect stylistic curveballs across the record, ranging from hardcore to unexpected melodic detours. As “Rivals” makes clear, the band continues to blur lines between punk and hip hop while challenging expectations from both worlds.
Lifers arrives April 3, 2026. “Rivals” is available now.
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