Video: Wasiu – “44:4 (44 Four’s)” (prod. by jåmvvis)

The MTLien Doesn’t Die, He Multiplies in the Mass Appeal-Premiered Video

8.22.2017

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 is a rapper in a league of his own” – High Snobiety

The Video:

A prodigious rhymesmith with a knack for exploiting clever concepts, Wasiu is one of the most gifted rappers in Montreal. Responding to the release of Jay-Z‘s acclaimed 4:44, Wasiu shared “44:4 (44 Four’s),” an update to “22 Two’s,” Jay-Z’s classic statement of lyrical prowess from his debut album Reasonable Doubt. Doubling up the original’s core conceit, Wasiu concocts a brilliant verse, using 44 variations of the words “for” and “four” in two and a half minutes. The video, premiered by Mass Appeal, playfully brings the concept to life, with the Afro-Canadian rapper emceeing in a large amphitheater, generating a clone of himself every time he says a variation of “4.” As the running total increases, the clones form the shape of the song’s title in the amphitheater seats. With “44:4’s,” Wasiu proves that he never keeps it less than 100 when he applies his creative mind to rap music.

Earlier this Summer, Wasiu released Snow Mexican, an accomplished, politically charged EP. Inspired by a fake (yet believable) Donald Trump tweet and stuffed with innovative electronic production from the likes of Tommy Kruise, Dear Lola, and others, Snow Mexican finds Wasiu exploring what it means to be a perpetual outsider–approaching issues from the perspective of an African in Canada, an English-speaker in a French-speaking city, and a Canadian trying to make it in the American rap industry. Perhaps known best in his homeland for his commercials for Kijiji, Canada’s answer to Craigslist, which showcase Wasiu’s prodigious skills behind the mic, Wasiu has earned praise from the likes of Noisey,Complex, Pigeons & Planes, and Okayplayer. In the past year, Wasiu performed at SXSW, The Montreal Jazz Fest, POP Montreal, and Canadian Music Week, and opened for Little Simz, Jazz Cartier, BADBADNOTGOOD, Grandmaster Flash, Dead Obies, Sean Leon, and others. Watch out for MTLiens 2, Wasiu’s next full album, coming later this year.

Watch “44:4 (44 Four’s)”: https://youtu.be/T440A-NCne8

Listen to “44:4 (44 Four’s)”: https://soundcloud.com/afrowasiu/44fours

Listen to the Snow Mexican EP: https://soundcloud.com/afrowasiu/sets/snow-mexican-ep/ // open.spotify.com/album/0XU3hqVUv4KOewI5f1mb9a

Purchase the Snow Mexican EP: itunes.apple.com/ca/album/snow-me…d1245841847?l=fr

Please contact Michelle or Dharmic 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.”