Zacari

Zacari Brings A “Touch of God” To Our Weekly “R&B Season” Playlist Update

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Just when you think our R&B Season playlist can’t get any hotter, another round of New Music Friday releases comes through blazing to light things up. Today (May 28) we have mostly collaborative efforts, though there is one solo offering that caught our eye. It comes from Zacari, and is called “Touch of God,” which is exactly what listening to the short and sweet title feels like. It marks the second drop of the year for the Top Dawg Entertainment artist, who previously linked up with Ab-Soul on “Motions” back in February.

From Rory’s I Thought It’d Be Different album we’ve picked two titles. The first, “Refill,” finds him connecting with Chiiild and Aáyanna. The second, “My Phone Can Die,” landed as a single ahead of the 13-track project, and features both Ari Lennox and James Fauntleroy. Other artists who appear on various songs include Emotional Oranges, THEY., Conway the Machine, GoldLink, REASON, and dvsn, among several others.

Read More: Lauren Jauregui Reunites With Ex Ty Dolla Sign & Russ For “Wolves” From Her New EP

HNHH R&B Season Playlist

Lauren Jauregui proved that it’s not impossible to work with your ex this weekend, reconnecting with her former lover, Ty Dolla $ign on “Wolves.” The emotional song also includes bars from Russ, and is the sole collaborative effort on the former Fifth Harmony starlet’s new In Between EP. Our final pick of the week comes from Nonso Amadi and BEAM, the latter likely still riding the high of linking up with Beyoncé last summer for “ENERGY” from her RENAISSANCE album.

His latest joint effort is called “Killmanjaro,” and it appears on Amadi’s When It Blooms project that also landed on Friday. Further down on today’s round-up, you’ll find more must-listen May drops from names like Summer Walker, NxWorries, Jorja Smith, Janelle Monáe, and Omarion. Tap into our weekly R&B Season update, exclusively on Spotify above. Are there any new arrivals you think we should’ve added? Let us know in the comments, and find more HNHH release recommendations on our Fire Emoji playlist at the link below.

Read More: Yeat & Young Thug Highlight New “Fire Emoji” Update

Zacari And Ab-Soul Go Through The ‘Motions’ On Their New Single

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Zacari and Ab-Soul have another gem on their hands. On their new collaborative single, “Motions,” both artists walk us through a day in their lives, as they deal with industry protocol, adjusting to fame, and navigating friendships and relationships.

“I’m just goin’ through the motions / Liftin’ off the ground / Driftin’ like the cloud / I’m just goin’ through the motions,” the two sing on the song’s chorus.

“Motions” marks the Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates’ third total collab. Last year, the two worked together on “Do Better” from Ab-Soul’s fifth studio album, Herbert, and have previously collaborated on “RAW (Backwards)” from his 2016 album, Do What Thou Wilt.

Zacari has appeared on several TDE collaborations over the years, alongside artists like Isaiah Rashad and Kendrick Lamar. He officially signed to the label in 2019, and released his debut EP Run Wild Run Free later that year.

Last year, he also collaborated on tracks with Blxst and MIA.

Though he hasn’t released a full-length album of his own yet, fans of Zacari can expect to hear it in the near future.

Last year, he revealed in an Instagram post that he plans to drop his full-length debut in 2023.

In the meantime, you can listen to “Motions” above.

Zacari & Ab-Soul Reunite For “Motions” Single

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It’s been a major few months for the roster of artists at Top Dawg Entertainment. SZA finally delivered her sophomore effort, SOS, which has had an undeniably impressive run on the charts. Additionally, Ab-Soul’s Herbert project made an emotional debut after the rapper survived a suicide attempt in the midst of putting his work together.

Thankfully, the 35-year-old seems to be in a much better place now and even reflects on his mental health in a new collaborative track. This New Music Friday, Ab-Soul links up with Zacari for his “Motions” single, marking the duo’s fourth time working together. Previously, we’ve heard them on “Do Better” and “RAW (backwards).”

Image provided to HNHH by artist

Additionally, they came together with Kembe X and Jay Rock to create the over five-and-a-half minute long must-hear single, “Raised A Fool.” While audiences obviously loved that, it’s time to make room in your playlist for Zacari and Ab-Soul’s most recent work. Thus far, “Motions” has been in constant rotation for many TDE fans all across the nation.

“No need to check up on, I’m doin’ just fine / I’m signin’ cheque after cheque, homie, I’m alright,” the former rhymes on the first verse. “But every time I go home, I get anxious / And every time I go home, I’m impatient,” he continues over production by ESTA.

For his part, Ab-Soul comes through with noteworthy bars later in “Motions.” He begins the third verse with, “Like five towers on top each other, I’m talkin’ high power / God’s rainin’, right now, you’re bathin’ in my shower.” He later closes his impressive rhymes out with “Chillin’ in silk sheets with you? / Have some empathy, would you? / I’m a sensitive Pisces and I keep it real, baby.”

Stream Zacari and Ab-Soul’s “Motions” on Spotify or Apple Music below. Afterward, tell us which of the duo’s past collaborations is your favourite in the comments. Finally, check back tomorrow for more recommendations on our Fire Emoji playlist.

Quotable Lyrics:

Tourin’ the globe, keepin’ poetry in motion
Full of subliminal shit I do to keep you open
It’s difficult to stay focus
When my mind sidetracked by
Dividin’ your thighs like an ocean

[Via]

Zacari Reflects On A ‘Restless’ LA Journey On His New Single

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The Top Dawg crew has had an incredible year. With incredible releases from Kendrick Lamar, Doechii, SZA, and Ab-Soul, TDE once again proved itself as one of the strongest labels in hip-hop. To close out the year, TDE’s R&B star Zacari has released a new single called “Restless.”

On the piano-and-string-driven ballad, Zacari reflects on his time in Los Angeles. Over the years, he’s maintained a love-hate relationship with the city, but now, it seems as though he’s ready to move on.

“Leaving downtown LA / This street only goes one way / It’s a dead end, this street only goes one way / That’s why I get restless, restless, restless / Keep the incense burning restless, restless, restless,” he sings.

Zacari teased the single on Instagram saying, “Closing the DTLA chapter of my life.”

Zacari has been an R&B force among the TDE crew since 2017, when he featured on Kendrick Lamar’s “LOVE” from his third major-label album, DAMN. He has since released two EPs, Run Wild Run Free in 2019, and Sol in 2021. While we’re not sure what the post-DTLA chapter of Zacari’s life will entail, it appears that a full-length album from Zacari may be on the horizon for 2023.

In the meantime, you can listen to “Restless” above.

Ab-Soul And The TDE Crew Are On Top Of Their Game In His New ‘FOMF’ Video

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On the heels of his new album, Herbert, Ab-Soul has shared the video for “FOMF,” which is short for “f*ck out my face.”

On the song, Ab-Soul is affirmed in himself as he makes a grand return to the rap game after a six-year break between albums.

“I’m in a league of my own / Y’all need to leave it alone / I’ma just eat everything / I’ma just leave you the bones / Call it an even exchange / There ain’t no need to explain,” he raps on his opening verse.

In the song’s music video, Ab-Soul is seen taking over a baseball field with his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates Jay Rock, Isaiah Rashad, Zacari, Reason, and Ray Vaughn. Fans cheer the rap crew on from the seats in the baseball stadium.

Ab-Soul, along with Rashad and TDE labelmate Kendrick Lamar have all been outspoken about seeing a therapist. In a recent interview with Vulture, Ab-Soul shared how his therapist has helped him over the past few years.

“I felt like she understands,” he said. “It wasn’t the commercialized version of how therapy goes. ‘So how does that make you feel?’ She’s still my therapist to this day. That goes back to how our people are turned off with the mental-health conversation, going to therapy. It means you’re crazy, all of the stigma that we’ve been taught. But I feel it becoming more of the norm for people who don’t want to go to therapy, who want to go try to be their best self. I feel it. It’s happening.”

Check out the video for “FOMF” above.

Herbert is out now via Top Dawg Entertainment. Stream it here.