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Following the winter debut of Obie Iyoha’s last single “Karats,” the Nigerian American rapper returns with the perfect soundtrack to the forthcoming summer season with “Fire,” premiered (5/15/2018) by OkayAfrica. Obie and Detroit producer Motorcity Mello draw inspiration from artists like Brenda Fassie, Fela Kuti, Wizkid, J Hus, and Red Hot Chili Peppers to create an addictive blend of afrobeats, rap, and dancehall on the track, helping forge a sound that represents Africans living in America.
“Honestly I was just having fun in the studio freestyling to dance floor vibes when I got to thinking about situations we put ourselves in during the heat of the moment. we’ve all played with ‘Fire’ before per se, especially when the opposite sex is involved. Basically this is a track about being torn between living in the moment because you won’t live forever, and the foreshadowing consequences of tomorrow.” – Obie Iyoha
“Fire” is the second single from Obie’s forthcoming sophomore album, Pink Moon, due out later this year.
Link to the premiere of “Fire” on OkayAfrica: http://www.okayafrica.com/obie-iyoha-fire-premiere-stream/
Previous:
- “Karats” (premiered by Billboard)
- “Anime & Chill” (premiered by Mass Appeal)
- “Lost In America” (premiered by The FADER)
More about Obie Iyoha
Obie was born Omoregie Iyoha to Nigerian immigrants in Greensboro, North Carolina. First introduced in 2013 on The Black Opera’s 80z Babiez To The 2Gz mixtape (“The Hiatus,” “The Goods,” etc.), then appearing on its lauded The Great Year LP in 2014, and again on the group’s Protect The Code compilation, the young Nigerian American emcee/producer and visual artist has earned rightful comparisons to Goldlink and Joey Bada$$.
The youngest of five, Obie was introduced to 70’s afro-pop and reggae at an early age. His hip hop influences, which include Outkast, Notorious B.I.G., Ma$e, Nas, Eminem, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, were absorbed from his older brother’s CD collection. Obie’s own musical curiosity sparked his affinity for rock greats such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jimi Hendrix. Obie was introduced to creative arts and began sketching art pieces, comic book layouts, and video game ideas when his family moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1999.
After independently developing a local following through a string of project x-style house parties and opening for acts such as A$AP Rocky, MGK, Logic, and The UnderAchievers, Obie released a mixtape entitled The Low Key in 2013. Having toured the U.S. and Europe with such A-list acts as Mayer Hawthorne, Souls of Mischief, Ghostface Killah, Big KRIT and more as a member of TBO, the exposure and experience invoked the spirit of Obie’s debut solo album Midnight Run in 2016. Now with his own independent label/production company, Llama House, and a distribution deal with Fat Beats, Obie is set to release his sophomore album, Pink Moon, later this year.