Gramatik has enlisted Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon and Harlem-based singer Orlando Napier for a sweet new single titled “Native Son.” The song mixes Gramatik’s Beatz & Pieces hip hop vibe with a dash of neo-soul, brought by Napier, and an OG rap vibe, brought by The Chef.
The trio performed the new track at Coachella this passed weekend, and while there isn’t a full video of the performance, the stream looks pretty wild. Here’s what Gramatik had to say about the song:
“Native Son” was written by Orlando. He came by my place one day, played the rhodes and sang it for me casually, and I was like holy shit, we have to make this tune! We ended up making it a two-part song, with “Native Son Prequel” being the second track, which will also be on Epigram. Both parts talk about a kid that grew up hard on the streets of NYC, each song addressing a different period in his life. “Native Son” is how he reflects on his younger years, while “Native Son Prequel” is him living the younger years. The reflective part felt perfect for a Raekwon verse to me, so I sent it to him, thinking nothing would come of it, but much to my surprise, he liked it and said yes. The rest is history. 🙂