Straight out of the hip-hop woodworks comes a joint project between rising Oakland rapper Basi and seasoned Bay area producer Drew Banga. With an extensive background in performance poetry, Basi now focuses on producing and writing rap music as well as designing clothes. Working with live musicians as well as a range of producers, his sound is a cohesive range between jazzy, boom-bap cuts and booming 808-filled bangers.
Drew Banga recently said in a VICE interview that he wants to “spark the Bay Area’s rap resurgence” and he’s clearly putting action to words. Banga and Basi released their debut Shake the Scene EP last year and are back with their new single “We Up.”
The track immediately shows us why Drew Banga’s production skills are a force to be reckoned with. Filled with raw, organic instrumentation, it has a throwback feel that leaves plenty of room for Basi to flow effortlessly over it. Some jazzy, psychedelic guitar riffs glide over a thumping drum pattern that create a vibe that doesn’t sound like anything we’ve heard before. On top of that, Basi’s lyricism is so impressively cunning and it’s very evident that he comes from a background in poetry.
We have a feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these two. Check out the official music video for “We Up” which showcases some of Basi’s fashion prowess below. Enjoy!