My new single "NEW YORK (Is)" featuring the amazing rappers Komputer & Sarahfina is out now! Listen on your favorite platform!
What's the story? Well …
A couple of years ago I started volunteering at the non-profit music studio Notes For Notes in Flatbush in Brooklyn. Located in the Madison Square Boys & Girls clubhouse, it is an amazing organization that gives kids and youth free access to instruments, turntables, a recording booth and music production. I met amazingly talented musicians, singers and songwriters there – amongst them Marquise aka Komputer and Sarahfina.
Some months ago I asked Marquise if he could imagine rapping on an instrumental that I had made, and I had imagined the theme to be New York City. (My working title was "NY (is a bitch)" lol.) Marquise simply said in a nonchalant way: "Sure. Just send it over." And I did. (But I changed the file name to "New York Is" haha!) A couple of weeks later we already recorded his parts in the studio – and of course I LOVED what he did!! His flow is amazing, and it was great to hear his lyrics and see the city that I now live in through his eyes.
I was really inspired by his awesome performance, and my parts came along quickly after that. Since I am not a rapper, I decided to do a spoken words part. I chose to record my vocals in half time and sped them up to create a futuristic, alienating yet capturing atmosphere. And the lyrics … Well, of course, New York is like a phoenix, New York is unable to die. It is worn out and still sparkling bright. Rising from the ashes, crazy rich and insanely poor, always getting by.
When my part was recorded, there was still room for a third verse, so I asked Sarahfina if she wanted to be a part of this collaboration. She was game immediately and added another dimension and an invaluable third view of NYC to the tune. Her flow is superfly and her narrative hits you right in the face.
This song is super special to me. Not only because I was able to work with these amazing up-and-coming artists from Brooklyn, but also because I love the fusion of Electronica and Hip Hop, the mix of beat and melody, a uniqueness that was only possible because we all pitched in what we got and what we felt.
Marquise created the artwork for the cover and suggested, we name the song "NEW YORK (is)", because (his words) the "(is)" part symbolizes that New York simply just is. It is constant and it never left us. New York was never.