Rising Hip Hop sensation, Gr8ful, has released his debut EP titled Nobody, which consists of five tracks and is an exploration of one’s self-actualisation and awareness.
Imaad Baderoen, 21, from the southern suburbs says the idea for the project came when he faced real-life challenges and took time to think about the changes he wanted to make.
Gr8ful says: “From [those challenges] stemmed a burning desire to detach myself from my past experiences. I knew it would require me to detach from my desire to become somebody, to put wants secondary to needs – a responsibility which lies beyond being and becoming somebody but, in fact, the path to becoming Nobody.”
Recorded in his home studio, the project was produced entirely by Soulful Clay, who has worked with Season 13 Idols SA winner Paxton and Curtain Call hitmaker Rowlene.
Gr8ful says: “The synergy between myself and Soulful Clay allowed me to explore and experiment with various musical possibilities. We challenged each other to go harder and this constant challenge resulted in me going beyond certain boundaries about my writing, melodies and concepts.”
The five tracks on the EP are Neck, Slippery, Play Dumb, Purpose and Nobody. The lead single, Slippery has been played by SlikourOnLife and seen Gr8ful also perform the song on the Expresso morning show.
The music video has amassed over 27 000 views on YouTube.
The songs provide a snapshot of where Gr8ful is in his journey and all the lessons he has learned along the way.
He says: “Each song carries its own uniqueness. Each song is a chapter contributing to one story.”
He explains that he draws inspiration from legends such as The Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Lauryn Hill and Ashanti, and gravitates towards trap and melodic rap.
The EP ‘Nobody is available on all streaming platforms.