Blog - speakoutsam

Photo Credit: Aiden Weber

Rapper, producer, and singer-songwriter Peter $un today unveiled his full-length album ‘Rent Was Due…’ on Red Bull Records/Mind of a Genius. The nine-track project arrives with the new single “Double Standards” featuring breakout R&B star Joyce Wrice. Fans can stream the album here and watch the music video here.

Unpacking the meaning behind the single, Sunny shared: “I wrote "Double Standards" based on the dynamics of a toxic relationship. It’s about calling your partner out on some shit, meanwhile you’re doing all the same things to them”.

Sunny’s verses flow with ease, and when Joyce Wrice joins in, their synergy is undeniable. They exchange playful arguments about relationship imbalances over a laid-back beat that creates an effortless groove. On collaborating with Joyce, Sunny added: “Working with Joyce Wrice on the track was amazing. She has this great energy whenever she pulls up – she really killed it on this one”.

The release will be accompanied by an official music video set at a house party, featuring Sunny, his date, and a crowd of beautiful women who tempt him to look away from the one sitting across from him.

Peter $un – "Double Standards" featuring Joyce Wrice (Official Music Video)

In the lead up to his album release, Peter $un (Sunny) has been warming up fans with summer-ready singles all season, including the feel-good track, “All That I Want” featuring Bay Area rapper Rexx Life Raj and the backyard BBQ anthem, “Weight On Me” featuring SoCal rapper Buddy. While “Double Standards” dials down the dancefloor energy, it showcases another side of the Virginia native, highlighting his soulful roots and nostalgic R&B influences.

The album introduces brand new tracks like the jazz-inspired opener, “Get Down”, which borrows from Kool and the Gang’s iconic “Get Down On It”, and the old school rap track, “Keep the Faith”. Sunny bounces between different eras, genres, and sonic landscapes throughout the album, pulling from his dynamic West Coast community and the fabric of the Richmond scene. While each piece of the project has its own musical identity that flexes Sunny’s versatility, together they form a cohesive narrative on ‘Rent Was Due...’.

Piecing it all together, Sunny reflects: “The album is deeply personal to me – it’s life imitating art. Creating it gave me a way to express joy during a difficult time and reminded me of the control I have over that little voice in my head. We wanted to dance through the chaos and now, we’re celebrating”.

Sunny created this album from a real need to make rent – a challenge that many rising artists face in monetizing their passion – and for his existing fans, it only re-emphasizes his commitment to transparency. It’s both raw and relatable, yet it never succumbs to the difficulties Sunny faced at the time. Looking toward a brighter future, he chose to find the silver lining and that hope shines through in the colorful tones of ‘Rent Was Due...’.

‘Rent Was Due...’ Tracklist

1. Get Down
2. U Got Me
3. Weight On Me (feat. Buddy)
4. Frames
5. Double Standards (feat. Joyce Wrice)
6. All That I Want (feat. Rexx Life Raj)
7. Close To You
8. Keep The Faith
9. Want You

Stream 'Rent Was Due...' here: https://petersun.ffm.to/rentwasdue
Watch the music video for "Double Standards" here:

About Peter $un

For Peter $un to find bliss, the Richmond, Virginia-born rapper/singer first had to get honest about his circumstances before arriving at his new project, ‘Rent Was Due…’. $un, also known as Sunny, has lived in Southern California for close to seven years and has encountered similar hardships that fellow residents face. Fitting the ‘starving artist’ trope and working multiple jobs to sustain his musical passion. Dealing with the stresses of fluctuating housing and grocery costs. But even amid adversity, Sunny finds the silver lining on his lively and summertime-friendly album.

“I always look at the best in everything. I'll be going through something, and I'll see the light rather than the dark in it,” he continues. “I was going through a situation where I wasn't able to pay my rent at the time while I was making this project. Even though that was the situation, I was still trying to make the best music I could; nobody wants to be depressed and make depressing shit”.

Although Sunny undergoes the extremely palpable feeling of having to make rent on ‘Rent Was Due…’, he tosses his worries aside for feel-good grooves. It makes sense for the artist, who scoured his father’s R&B-centric record collection throughout his childhood and found local artists like Missy Elliott, Timbaland and The Neptunes instrumental to his soulful psychedelic appeal. While on the come-up in his hometown, Sunny hustled his music on the underground scene and occasionally collaborated with friends on material that would be the springboard for his future projects. Apart from his VA upbringing, he cites essential neo-soul albums like Lauryn Hill’s 1998 solo breakthrough ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’, and D’Angelo’s ‘Voodoo’ as his North Star, and remnants of both masterpieces shine through ‘Rent Was Due…’.

Sunny gets flirtatious on the mellow opener “Get Down”, which appropriately interpolates Kool & the Gang’s classic “Get Down On It”. The amorous feeling continues on the breezy dance of “Weight On Me”, where Sunny gets an assist from Buddy and flips Trina’s 2001 cut “Pull Over”. When the celestial glow of “All That I Want” comes around, Sunny’s joined by Rexx Life Raj, with both aiming to attract women they have their eyes on. While ‘Rent Was Due…’ keeps it modern, it’s Sunny’s deep soul influences that make the album shine.

“It's always been something that's just in a part of my DNA. I wanted to do more melodic stuff and get into that energy, but I still love rap shit, too,” he explains. “I want to bring some smooth shit to the table and some passion and good energy, good vibes always. I love incorporating neo-soul ‘90s type of stuff in my music, but also bringing it to a more modern level”.

But when trying to maintain an upbeat mood, there can be moments of strife. That’s where songs like the battle of the sexes anthem “Double Standards”, featuring R&B vocalist Joyce Wrice, and the vulnerable, rap-focused “Keep the Faith” break through the surface on ‘Rent Was Due…’. On the latter track, Sunny sits with himself over a lo-fi, flipped version of Faith Evans’ “Soon As I Get Home” and expresses his looming dark thoughts. “Keep the Faith” also serves as a taste of Sunny’s follow-up project, where he’ll aim to return to his rap origins.

“You can be happy, you're not going to be happy all the time, though,” he continues. “I always like to bring that versatility to my projects, showing vulnerability, and showing the human experience to people through music. We can have all this happy shit and we can have a good time, but it's not always going to be like that. And in seconds, it could be horrible. We never know”.

As Los Angeles continues its process of restoration, keeping the vibes high on the West Coast is Sunny, who proves that after setbacks, hope can be revitalized. The artist knows the feeling all too well, as his 2022 EP ‘Phone Calls Gimme Anxiety’ centered on Sunny’s grappling with recurring bad news. Now, he’s in unity with other Los Angelenos, along with outside listeners going through their own plights, and offers ‘Rent Was Due…’ as a refreshing escape.

With over 21 million career streams and a soulful sound that continues to resonate globally, he’s found a growing fanbase across Asia — with 🇮🇩 Indonesia ranking #2 and 🇹🇼 Taiwan at #6 among his top 10 streaming markets worldwide!