BALTIMORE, MA – On ZayZayy’s upcoming single “Push Over,” out June 24th, the rapper and hip-hop singer is using music as an outlet to tell his life story of struggle, growth, and triumph–writing emotional and profoundly detailed hip-hop that lets his past know that they won’t affect his future, as the first hip-hop artist born and raised in Liberia.
And that’s exactly where ZayZayy’s story starts, amid a Liberian civil war. Seeking refuge in America in 2010, ZayZayy wasn’t thinking about rapping while struggling to connect with identity and American culture as one of few black students in Inskter, MI. Relocating to Baltimore, Maryland, he discovered a city filled with African pride, but continued with life and legal struggles that can be heard in his multitude of singles.
Although making music came at the right time in 2018, as ZayZayy was encouraged by a friend to make hip-hop music that tells his powerful story, there’s now no stopping the rapper. In three years, ZayZayy has already released two albums, 2020’s BeyondTheNakedEye and 2021’s Start of Forever, and 19 music videos and singles that combined have reached over 100k streams.
“Music was not in my plans or in my life,” says ZayZayy. “I didn't grow up on music. I didn't sing in the choir, nothing like that. So music found me oddly in my time of need. I talked to a therapist so I could understand what I was going through, but music was where I was able to vent. So I put everything I go through into music.”
“Push Over” talks about ZayZayy standing up for himself. Featuring frequent Lil’ Baby collaborator Rylo Rodriguez, the single intros with a solemn piano but segues into a sharp and catchy beat that resonates with the song’s story. ZayZayy makes reality music, having a knack for combining his experiences in various cultures and environments and creating an anthem for everyone, while also producing empathetic storytelling that is improvised off of his emotions.
“I make music that I want people to feel. I want to perform and have the crowd sing along to my music and not just hear the bass knocking through the speakers. I feel like I make reality music because it's my reality, not just something that I'm making up or just saying because it sounds good, ” explains ZayZayy. “With "Push Over" I got to a point growing up from being in a Third World country and being picked on half my life because I'm African. I ran away from that. So I got to a point where I got tired of being pushed over and being picked on, so it's kind of like standing up for yourself.”
ZayZayy is bringing his journey into his hip-hop career, but he also wants to show off his Liberian pride and to let others know from his home country that a music career is possible. Having been raised in an environment where success was supposedly found as just a doctor, nurse, or lawyer, ZayZayy is branching into a creative medium that is therapeutic, serendipitous, and rare within his culture, with the potential to take him to the top. After the release of “Push Over” ZayZayy will be putting out his next single “Come Over” featuring rapper Davido on Liberian Independence Day. Wherever his music takes him, ZayZayy wants the world to know that his roots are what brought him into the recording booth in the first place.
“Push Over” is set to be released June 24. Stay connected to ZayZayy on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.
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