Lil Peep’s Mother Believes Her Son’s New Project Celebrates His Legacy

It's been one year since Lil Peep died, and his legacy still looms large over the world of hip-hop. It was the focus of a special listening party for the late rapper's forthcoming posthumous album, Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 2, which took place last night (Oct. 18).

The event was held at Manhattan's Ideal Glass Studios, serving as both a tribute to the rapper and a reassurance that his music is in the right hands. Lil Peep's mother, Liza Womack, spoke on the latter, addressing the ethical implications of releasing music from a dead artist.

"What do you do when a young artist dies long before his time, leaving behind a legacy of finished and unfinished work and a legion of heartbroken fans? Well, I feel very proud of what Columbia Records has done with Gus' album," Peep's mother said, referring to a nickname for Peep's birth name, Gustav Elijah Åhr.

A part of Womack's answer was to turn to Smokeasac and George Astasio, two producers who had originally worked on Peep's debut album, Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 1.

"This album is the most important project I'll ever work on in my lifetime. I'm sure of that," Smoke said of producing Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 2. "I miss Gus terribly. His legacy is growing super fast."

"George was by my side the whole time through [Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 1] and into Pt. 2. and helped me make this album come together, and I'm grateful," Smoke adds.

Astasio says he's grateful for being able to work with Peep's music and turn out a strong project.

"I'm so fucking thankful for being a part of Gus' musical life," Astasio began. "We can sit here talking about how it went, but the good news is that we got to where we needed to get to. Both Dylan and I were very happy with the result, and we just hope everyone else will feel the same way."

Staying true to Peep was important for people involved with releasing his new LP, and that thinking extended to the listening session itself. Inside of Ideal Glass was a virtual museum for the late rapper, who died in November 2017 after ingesting generic Xanax laced with fentanyl. A giant mural of Lil Peep adorned one of the walls. Footage from Peep's interviews and music videos was projected onto the studio walls throughout the venue. Elsewhere, images from Peep's childhood were displayed. A picture of a grade school-aged Peep rocking a costume from Batman Beyond stood out. Halloween was his favorite holiday, so the event organizers included special jack-o'-lanterns with Peep's name carved into them.

Adding to the ambiance of the night was a playlist featuring selections from Future, The Weeknd, Good Charlotte, Gym Class Heroes, Yung Lean, Mac Miller, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and more played over the loud speakers. The music—as explained in an accompanying pamphlet—were some of his favorite songs, hand-picked by his mother and his brother, Oskar. The choices echo the influences of Peep's trap-infused, punk rock-leaning aesthetic.

The idea of helping posthumously release an authentic Peep album was also touched on by Jay Schumer (Columbia Records' Vice President of Marketing), Sarah Stennett (First Access Entertainment CEO). Both spoked on Peep's impact keeping his legacy alive.

"On a personal level, getting this right means so much to me," said Schumer. "Because I was the Lil Peep fan. I was a DC hardcore kid and music saved me. Minor Threat was my Lil Peep. Growing up in that community made me fully aware of what’s real and credible and what’s not. So I understand why the fans are protective, and I don’t want to fuck this up for Gus, his family, his friends or his fans. And I know everyone involved feels exactly the same way."

While Peep's "Cry Alone" video dropped yesterday, fans will have to wait a little while longer before they can check out Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 2, which drops on Nov. 9. Everyone involved seems to feel it's a proper continuation of Peep's musical catalog. In Womack's mind, Smokeasac, Astasio, Schumer and the rest of the Columbia Records team did their best to help release a project of which the late rapper would approve.

"I feel very proud of what Dylan Mullen [Smokeasac] has done to preserve the legacy of his and Gus' album," offered Womack. "This is the album Gus would have wanted. And yes, I know what he wanted."

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