Critical Praise for Roach Gigz:
"The funniest rapper working" - The New York Times
"Roach's new Bitch, I'm A Player EP is a lot of fun, a high-energy onslaught of sex-brags and self-deprecating jokes... It's a nice little portrait of a rapper dizzily in love with the art of rapping, and with the places that his gift can take him." - Pitchfork
"Here's to the new age of rap. And Roach Gigz. Who is awesome." - The FADER
The Video:
2011 was a milestone year for Roach Gigz. His Roachy Balboa 2 mixtape placed the Roach firmly in the national spotlight, in addition to earning him his debut national TV appearance on MTV2 Sucker Free, and his EP, Bitch, I'm A Player, gained critical acclaim from outlets including The New York Times, Pitchfork, FADER, Stereogum, and more. Now, Roach is excited to announce his official debut LP, Bugged Out, currently slated for a summer 2012 release. And with the announcement, Roach is releasing the video for the album's lead single, "Wasabi."
The song, which premiered in January with strong support from Bay Area powerhouse radio station 106 KMEL, was inspired by, and pays homage to, one of Roach's biggest inspirations and influences, Bay legend Mac Dre. The video, directed by long-time Roach collaborator Aris Jerome, was shot throughout San Francisco and Oakland, paying respect to the fallen icon. "The song sample an old Dre song," notes Roach, "so we shot it in front of both Mac Dre murals out here, the one in San Francisco and the one in Oakland."
Most of all, though, the video is a fun affair, with clips of Roach partying at a local hookah bar ("We had a real party while we were shooting the video."), interspersed with clips of landmark Bay scenery. And for all true fans of the movement that Mac Dre was so instrumental in spreading, Roach has a special cameo. "We even got B Luv, the famous Thizzle Dancer from Treal TV," says Roach. "He's in there gigging."
Watch the video for "Wasabi" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKazL6BwfTg
For more information on Roach Gigz, please contact Michelle or Dan at Audible Treats.
The Background:
Selected as one of 106 KMEL's Top 10 Freshman Rappers of the Bay Area, 21-year-old San Francisco native Roach Gigz has gone from virtually unknown to one of the hottest artists on the West Coast. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Roach was conceived in Nicaragua during the Contra and Sandinista war. Named after a combination of the character Roach from the movie Next Friday and his high school days dancing skills, Roach Gigz first gained local fame with close friend Lil 4Tay as one half of the group Bitch I Go (B.I.G.). Now, after two successful Roachy Balboa mixtapes, a mtvU Freshmen 5 victory and a MTV2 Sucker Free feature under his belt, Roach has just released his latest mixtape, Bitch, I'm A Player. The BIAP mixtape will be followed in August with a limited edition physical release that will also include his previous Roachy Balboa mixtapes, as well as his debut mixtape, Buckets & Booty Calls. |
