IBOH II: Fractions for Fractions — A New Way To Release Music?
It's officially been one week since I released IBOH II: Back For Seconds Edition, and first off, I want to thank everybody who's taken the time to listen, share, purchase, or otherwise support the project.
This album was a long time coming, with an even longer rollout as I really began marketing it in November of 2025. I wrote it, recorded it, mixed it, mastered it, and with the help of 3rdSpace, FAMBam Productions, and VisionQuest Brewery, put together one of the most unique listening parties I or anyone who joined had ever been a part of to celebrate it. A lot of time and energy went into making this thing a reality. So thank you.
But if you've listened to the album on Spotify, Apple Music, or another streaming platform, you might've noticed something a little… strange…
The songs aren't complete.
No, your streaming service isn't broken. No, I didn't accidentally upload the wrong files.
This, like every other part of this long-winded rollout, was by design.
Fractions for Fractions
Here's the thing: Streaming platforms have made music more accessible than ever before, and were a response to a call that was music being pirated. Over time, it's been great for listeners, and arguably the ease of being able to upload your songs to DSPs has been of great benefit to artists too, but there are still some drawbacks for the artists creating the music.
Artists are often earning fractions of a penny per stream, and while those fractions can add up when you're doing millions of plays, the reality for most independent artists is a little different.
So I decided to try something a little different.
If streaming platforms are going to pay me fractions for my music, I'm going to give them fractions of my music.
Fractions for fractions.
The versions of IBOH II available on traditional streaming platforms contain portions of each song, generally ending after the first verse and hook.
Think of them as longer previews. You still get the music, the production, and a taste of what each record has to offer, but not necessarily the entire experience.
And before somebody takes this as me declaring war on Spotify, that's not really the point.
I'm not against people discovering music through streaming services. I'm against the idea that the only way to be a successful musician is to accumulate millions of streams while giving away the entirety of your work for next to nothing.
Especially when you consider how long it takes to flesh out a body of work. It turns artists into workhorses. And if we're being honest, between the sheer volume of music being uploaded nowadays and all the other mediums competing for people's attention, it's no surprise so many artists burn themselves out trying to keep up.
I wanted to experiment with a different approach. One that puts a little more control back into the hands of the artist and creates a more direct relationship with the people who actually care about the music.
Will it work? I don't know, but I've done the other thing, and so far I like this approach a lot more regardless.
So, Where Can You Hear the Full Album?
I'm glad you asked, random blog reader. Because despite the unconventional release, I've actually made the full album available in several different ways.
1. Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, YouTube & Other Streaming Platforms — The DSP Edition
This is the shortened version of IBOH II. You'll get portions of the songs, enough to get familiar with the project and hopefully discover something you like.
It's a great and fair jumping-off point.
Listen here:
2. Join My Email List — The Back Room
When you join my email list, you'll get access to a private, full-length clean stream of IBOH II.
No downloads, no purchase necessary. Just the complete standard album available to stream.
But the album is really just the beginning.
By joining the list, you'll also get early access to new music, exclusive updates, opportunities for discounted merchandise and tickets, and other things I don't necessarily share with everybody on social media.
More importantly, it's a way for us to stay connected without relying on an algorithm to decide whether you see my work. No middlemen deciding whether you're interested. Just me, you, and whatever timeline we find ourselves in next.
Join the email list:
3. Purchase the Digital Album — $10
This is where things get explicit. If you want to own the music and support the project directly, you can purchase the digital album for $10.
You'll receive downloadable copies of both the clean AND explicit versions of IBOH II, plus two exclusive bonus tracks:
Man Of The Era — Toussaint Lorenz x DJ Godzila x Benny The Butcher
Return Of The Mack — Toussaint Lorenz
These bonus tracks aren't included with the free full-album stream. And unlike streaming access, these files are yours to keep.
No subscription required. No worrying about whether a streaming platform decides to remove something from its catalog.
Get the digital album:
4. Physical Albums & The Timeline Chronicles Manga
For those of you who still appreciate owning physical media, I've also made physical copies available.
The IBOH II CDs are hand-burned, handwritten, and individually numbered. Each one is a physical piece of this release, and it includes access to the digital downloads and the bonus tracks.
They're available for $15 online, or $10 when you catch me at a show.
There's also the Timeline Chronicles manga option, which brings the visual world of IBOH II into the experience. The manga bundle includes the physical manga along with the clean and explicit digital albums and both bonus tracks.
The goal here was to create something that goes beyond just pressing play.
Explore the physical albums and manga:
Why Does Any of This Matter?
I don't think artists should have to choose between making their work accessible and making their work sustainable.
I also recognize the climate we're in musically, and while I have my issues with streaming, it does provide a great way to get in front of new listeners, and it has become the status quo at this point. My goal wasn't to force fans to have to spend money just to hear an album.
That's why the full standard clean album is still available to listen to for free. (Well, the cost of an email.)
But for the people who want to take things a little further, I wanted to give them meaningful ways to do that.
Whether you listen to the DSP Edition, join the email list, purchase a download, or pick up a physical copy, you're participating in this journey.
Oh, and I'm Still Making Other Music Too.
Just because IBOH II is out doesn't mean we're sitting around waiting for the next album.
I'm known to do sporadic, random remixes whenever I feel inspired to jump on something.
Most recently, I put together a remix of a BigXThaPlug record, "I Get It," from his newest album Better Over Time.
I don't know if that mixtape Wayne era will ever leave me, plus it's fun, and good sport.
If you haven't checked it out yet, give it a listen.
Check out my BigXThaPlug remix: BigXthaPlug – I Get It (Toussaint Lorenz Remix) | A Mangione Story
One Week Down. What's Next?
I don't know exactly how this experiment is going to turn out.
Maybe it'll change how I release music going forward. Maybe I'll learn that some things work better than others. Maybe it'll inspire another artist to try something completely different.
Whatever happens, I'm glad I did it.
IBOH II is more than just another project in my catalog. It's an attempt to rethink the relationship between the music, the artist, and the listener.
And if you've made it this far, I appreciate you taking the time to understand what I'm trying to do.
Whether this experiment succeeds or fails, I know one thing: I'd rather try something different than keep doing something that isn't working for me.
So whether you've already listened or you're just discovering the album, I invite you to jump into the timeline.
Listen to the music. Join the email list. Buy the album if you can. And most importantly, tell somebody about it.
Listen: https://www.iboh.net/tl
Join the email list: https://www.iboh.net/tl
Purchase IBOH II: https://www.iboh.net/shop
Love finding new artists, releases, and events before they’re big? Explore them all with Toussaint Lorenz here
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