Double Tap to Zoom

Detroit music historian and Third Man archivist Ben Blackwell has revealed what the "AR 1331 A" stamp means on the artwork of Kanye West's new album, Jesus Is King.

Taking to Twitter over the weekend, it was revealed that the code is a direct reference to a pressing plant called Archer Records (AR) and a 1970 Detroit gospel record by Rubye Shelton. That single included tracks "I Want the World to Know Jesus," "God's Going to Destroy This Nation," "The Hypocrite," and 'Come Out of the Valley."

Read the tweet below.

In a statement given to Pitchfork, Blackwell said, “I knew the past decade spent in the deepest, loneliest recesses of Archer Record Pressing nerd-dom would eventually lead me to the biggest recording artist in the world. But enough about Jack White...who is this Kanye guy?”

We Recommend
  • Ungatekeeping The Best Hip-Hop Producers You Should Know About In 2024
  • Who Are Going to Be The Richest Rappers in the World in 2024?
  • 12 Italian Rappers You Need to Know in 2024
  • Kanye & Wife Bianca Call It Quits
What To Read Next
  • Vans Ruggedized a Classic. Now, It's a Top-Notch Vibram Skate Sneaker
  • adidas’ Samba-Coded Sneaker Looks Good in “Bottega” Weave
  • These Hand-Beaded $750 Vans Are Pearl-fect
  • Nike’s Blacked-Out Leather Air Maxes Are Criminally Clean
  • This Watch Comes With Rules. You Should Break Them.
  • Nike Rebuilt Its Pegasus Shoe for Mud, Rain, Winter & Everything Else