TDN 10-Year Anniversary Series: Larry June - Orange Season
When I think about Larry June, I think about a healthy lifestyle. At this point, that's probably one of the easiest ways to describe his music. Fresh juice, riding bikes, eating quality foods, taking care of yourself & family, being mindful, making money and actually being proud of yourself have all become part of the world Larry June has built around his music.
And now, “Orange Season” is 10 years old. Good Job, Larry.
Photo by DJ Pauly Guwop
Ten years is a long time in music, especially in Hip-Hop. An artist can have a moment, release a project people love and then struggle to recreate that same connection. This happens because sounds, trends, and audiences all change. The internet changes, even the way people discover music changes. 10 years down the road, Larry changed and so did his impact.
When “Orange Season” was released in 2016, Larry was still in the early stages of building what would eventually become one of the most recognizable lifestyles in modern rap. Looking back now, you can hear the foundation. The music had its own pace, its own atmosphere and its own sense of confidence. If you became a Larry June fan later, you might have missed this one.
One thing I keep thinking about with this anniversary is how many people listening to Larry June today may not have heard “Orange Season” when it originally came out. His audience now is much bigger than it was in 2016. There are people discovering Larry through “Who Coppin” who may have never gone all the way back to “Orange Season.” There are people who know the affirmations, the orange juice, the bikes and the lifestyle but haven't necessarily experienced where all of that started taking shape. That's what makes the anniversary worth celebrating. My favorite tracks from “Orange Season” are “3rd Girl,” “Luv Jones,” “Game for You,” and “Choose Up.” “Choose Up” especially has that crazy bass line.
The project came with visuals that leaned into a VHS inspired, retro style, giving the songs a visual world that matched the feeling of the project. That attention to the presentation matters because Larry wasn't only creating songs, he was beginning to create his own universe around them. You could see the world he was building.
Photo by DJ Pauly Guwop
Photo by DJ Pauly Guwop
Larry released a ton of music; I’ll be mentioning my personal favorites that I keep in rotation. “You're Doing Good” came in 2018. “Spaceships on the Blade” in 2022. In 2023, he gave us “The Great Escape” with The Alchemist, “The Night Shift” with Cardo, and “2 P'z in a Pod” with Jay Worthy & LNDN DRGS. Then came “Life Is Beautiful” with 2 Chainz & The Alchemist in 2025, followed by “Spiral Staircases” with The Alchemist & Curren$y, and now “Who Coppin” in 2026 with some surprise features from Wallo, DJ Fresh, our girl Jhené Aiko, the legendary Musiq Soulchild, Jay Versace, B-Legit, and Swizz Beatz.
“Who Coppin” made me feel like a proud cousin. That feeling you get when you've watched somebody grow from the early stages and you can actually hear the difference. I've been able to hear the progression. I can hear it in the lyrics, the production choices, the little details that might not stand out if you're only listening for the big moments, the sound quality, the way the records are arranged, even in how they're engineered. That's the kind of growth you notice when you've been listening for a long time. It's not just, “this album sounds better;” it’s being able to hear the decisions behind it. So “Who Coppin” hit differently for me.
The Larry June who made “Orange Season” had something. The Larry June making “Who Coppin” knows exactly what that something is.
Photo by DJ Pauly Guwop
There are artists where you can hear them get bigger and the thing that made you like them in the first place starts disappearing. He still sounds like himself. 10 years later, I'm not listening to Larry June thinking about how good he used to be, I'm listening and hearing what he's becoming.
You’re Doing Good.
As someone who faithfully listens to Larry while I make my fresh juice, be sure to check out this free Pina Colada Recipe + Playlist (Spotify / Apple Music) featuring some of my favorite tracks from him.