A two-year period has passed since Masego released his Studying Abroad: Extended Stay project, which includes the vocal contributions of Don Toliver, Shenseea, and TeaMarr. There have been a number of well-received loose singles released since then, including “Garden Party” with JID and Big Boi and “Yamz” with Devin Morrison.
In today’s (Nov. 4) release, DMV-bred artist “Say You Want Me,” the lead single from his forthcoming album, makes his return. The official music video for the single was directed by Alexander Black and it was filmed in sunny Los Angeles, California. As Masego delivers his lyrics in the video, he is engulfed in a joyful sense of community as he is surrounded by an atmosphere of joy:
“In a press release, he stated that he wants to hear people mention the name Masego when they mention life, music, black romance, and dance, and he stated that he is looking forward to hearing that name.
In addition to the mentioned Studying Abroad project, he also released his official debut album Lady Lady in 2018. This album was notably slowed down by De’ Wayne Jackson, Tiffany Gouché, SiR, and FKJ. In addition to his roots in TrapHouseJazz, he has also contributed his assistance to recent tracks such as “Must Be Nice” with Joyce Wrice, “Oveja Negra” with Llane, “Stickin’” by VanJess and Sinead, “Silk” with Kojey Radical, and more.
In addition to 13 brand-new songs, the fourth album from Lecrae Church Clothes series features several guest appearances. It features A.I. The Anomaly, Jon Keith, WHATUPRG, Andy Mineo, Jordan L’Oreal, Nobigdyl., and PJ Morton. An Instagram post he made just before the album’s release explained the meaning behind the project, as well as its predecessors:
The Church Clothes project is interesting to me because I feel that it is the most accurate representation of my values and what I believe in. The story of a hip hop culture raised kid who came to know Jesus when he was in high school. I consider them both to be a part of who I am as a person. It is like combining Outkast with the writings of Moses. We each have a lane in which God has called us to run. Run your marathon as I run mine.
In addition, fans were also able to catch a glimpse of the new video for the track that stands out among the rest on Church Clothes 4: “Still In America,” which is believed to be an extension of Lecrae‘s “Welcome to America.” Shot by Isaac Deitz and taken by another cameraman, the video for “Still In America” shows Lecrae walking down the street as things become increasingly chaotic around him, in matching with the song’s socially and politically charged content:
Church Clothes 4 is Lecrae’s follow-up to No Church in a While, his collaborative project with 1K Phew released last December. Previously, he released the record Restoration in 2020, which featured collaborations with artists such as DaniLeigh, John Legend, YK Osiris, Kirk Franklin, and BJ the Chicago Kid.
Last week, Trippie Redd came back to the scene with the release of his latest track, “Ain’t Safe“, which was produced by Don Toliver. It has been a while since the duo last shared a music video, however today (Nov. 3) they have decided to share the video, which was directed and edited by Nolan Riddle. Redd and his new gang take a trip into an out-of-this-world landscape filled with a variety of otherworldly creatures and plants as the rapper spits a few bars about maintaining vigilance at all times:
This year, the rapper from the “Miss The Rage” song has been delivering a number of show-stopping live sets all over the world. He has recently performed at events such as Rolling Loud Toronto, Rolling Loud Miami, and Summer Sky Vol. 1, in addition to the fact that they also supported Machine Gun Kelly “Mainstream Sellout Tour.”
As we all know, Redd has been keeping his fans in the know by releasing his First Draft EP, a two-track bundle that consists of “Save Me, Please” and “1st Degree Murder.” Prior to the release of this EP, Redd had released his fourth studio album, Trip At Knight, which included 18 tracks and features from artists such as SoFaygo, Lil Uzi Vert, Drake, Playboi Carti, Ski Mask The Slump God, XXXTENTACION, Juice WRLD, Polo G, Sada Baby, Icewear Vezzo, Lil Durk, and Babyface Ray. In its first week of release, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, with 81,000 album-equivalent units sold, contributing to its top spot on the chart.
This week saw NLE Choppa celebrate his 20th birthday. This morning (Nov. 4), he decided to gift his fans with a new single titled “Ice Spice,” which was produced by Tay Keith. The song reveals much about the Memphis native’s current situation while making a subtle reference to a certain Bronx newcomer, namely:
“Ice Spice” comes accompanied by a video directed by Evan Water Wippin, and it portrays a day in the life of Choppa through the lens of Water Wippin Evan. Aside from his work in the studio, he can be seen watching basketball games, spending time with his crew at the strip club, and much more on the show.
“ Ice Spice” is the latest release in a series of well-received music releases from the self-proclaimed Top Shotta which also includes tracks like “Slut Me Out,” “Yak Flow,” “Little Miss,” “Set Up Story Part 1,” “In The UK,” “Apart From You,” and “Do It Again” performed by 2rare. In that same timeframe, Choppa has also contributed a considerable amount of work to tracks such as those produced for DDG, OMB Peezy, and Macklemore in the same timeframe. I don’t know what this means, but his last full-length album was released back in January, containing 16 hard-hitting cuts and a number of assist contributions from G Herbo, Moneybagg Yo, Young Thug, and Polo G. Given his current output, we wouldn’t be surprised if we heard about another drop in the near future.
Earlier this month, Zaia released the infectious “Demons on Tuck,” an offering produced by Tane Runo that deals with mental illness in the midst of everyday struggles:
A few days before the start of November, fans were treated to the official video for one of the most emotionally charged albums of the year. In partnership with DealtByAce and Brain Tickle Studios, DealtByAce has directed the accompanying video, which is a psychedelic journey into the Atlanta talent’s mind. This matches the song’s subject matter and its multiple layers.
Through a press release, Zaia went on to explain what the track means to her:
“I wrote Demons on Tuck as a way to help people who are struggling to pull themselves out of dark places and to provide people with encouragement that they can make it through the most trying experiences a little easier.”
After two years since Zaia’s last album, VERY ALONE, he has returned to the scene with his most recent endeavor, VERY ALONE, a nine-song project that features a single feature from Chicago’s Valee on the standout track, “JUMO.” It also follows on from his well-received EP albums RESET, Drive, and WHILE WE WAIT.
It was with great pleasure to speak with Zaia about the songwriting process in an interview with CentralSauce:
I think that emotion is at the heart of it all. When you listen to a beat, how does it make you feel? An energetic beat can be heard in the background and it sounds like the sound of sunshine. Then you could write a sad verse to go along with it, but it’s always going to sound happy.
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