MP3: Wasiu – “No Chance” (Prod. by Dear Lola)

The Haitian-Canadian Rapper Takes Vengeance, Dear Lola Produces the First Single From Forthcoming EP, Debuted by HotNewHipHop

07.03.2015

Critical Praise for Wasiu:

“Wasiu is the hip-hop voice of Montreal.” – i-D

“The young Montreal rapper has been working steadily to make a name for himself and it looks like he’s on the right track.” – Pigeons & Planes

“Wasiu is another one to look out for this year.” – Complex

“Many rappers twice his age would be wise to take notes…” – Okayplayer

“Wasiu is pretty much the embodiment of Montreal’s cultural shift.” – Noisey

“Wasiu has exhibited a desire to creatively tackle a variety of topics, and he raps about them in a way that proves he’s a more-than-formidable emcee.” – HYPETRAK

The Song:

Announcing his MTLiens EP, Haitian-Canadian rapper Wasiu releases “No Chance,” a vengeful single about an unfaithful companion. Produced by frequent collaborator Dear Lola, the track showcases the duo’s chemistry while serving as a strong introduction to Wasiu’s forthcoming EP. The song samples Justin Timberlake‘s “Cry Me A River,” turning the 2002 record into a disjointed instrumental for Wasiu to express his anguish. “It’s the same theme of the original song,” Wasiu told HotNewHipHop in their premiere post. “I find out my girl has been cheating on me, but I take it a bit further. I take matters into my own hands.” With lines like, “Ain’t no way in hell, even less up in heaven,” and chorus, “No chance that I am taking you back,” Wasiu takes Timberlake’s original message to the next level of the grieving process: exasperation.

“No Chance” follows several previous collaborations between Wasiu and RAW Records co-founder/producer Dear Lola, who remixed Kanye West and Jay-Z‘s “What U Need” to deliver Wasiu’s HYPETRAK-premiered “I Got It,” an upbeat track with a funky bass line and dance floor-ready swing. At 24 years old, the rapper was first introduced in January with his Kaytranada-produced video single, “Physical,” and he has since gone on to show his range of politically-charge, socially conscious and self-confident rhymes. “My music is empowerment, and defeat. It’s the whole spectrum,” he explains. “I’m showing what people view as both the good and the bad… and how without the bad, you can’t have the good, and so you start to appreciate the bad… for the good.”

Listen to “No Chance”: https://soundcloud.com/w-a-s-i-u/no-chance-produced-by-dear-lola-1/

Check out the HotNewHipHop premiere: http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/wasiu-no-chance-new-song.1965248.html

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Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Wasiu.

Wasiu Background:

For Wasiu, being a pariah has always been a constant. A child of divorce from a Nigerian Muslim father and Haitian Protestant-Christian mother, he was torn between worlds, seen by both communities as impure, and a “mixed breed”—not entirely Haitian, not quite Nigerian. Even though he’s Québecois (a Québec native), his immigrant parents tainted his claim to the province. Raised by his mother after his father moved to Toronto, he felt obliged to fit in with her side of the family. Resentments towards his father’s beliefs and culture led him to drop his father-given middle name—Wasiu—so that he wouldn’t be teased in his predominantly white school, where he battled black stereotypes by pushing his intellect past expectations.

Overcoming adversity and using those lessons as lyrical fuel is Wasiu’s strongest suit. He is preparing his debut album which funnels his life experiences into a culturally defining opus that balances both optimistic and pessimistic perspectives on human themes. “I’m showing what people view as both the good and the bad,” he says, “and how without the bad, you can’t have the good, and so you start to appreciate the bad… for the good.”