SYMBA is a name you'll want to know. The Bay Area rapper has been hustling for a hot minute, but he's just made his biggest moves yet. 2020 will see him release his latest album, Don't Run From R.A.P, which comes out on May 1st. Symba has drawn comparisons to Pusha T, and it's easy to see why - his music has a confident, cocky feel to it, and you can easily get swept up in his flow.
Earlier this year, he dropped his first single of 2020, Serve, which sees him talking about the highlights of his life. The music video mirrors this, with SYMBA making moves while he's behind bars. Speaking about the track, he says, "Serve is a story about the highlights of my life. When I first heard the beat, it gave me a flashback to the music my uncle used to listen to. So I decided to tell the story about all the things my uncle had got me into to be able to make some money. He was a smooth hustling-ass player."
He recently told Billboard that he's planning on becoming a "household name", so you'll want to keep an eye on him. "I plan on becoming a household name in every way. By being consistent with my music, consistent with my message, and touching the people. You can never go wrong when you create good music.
"But what’s more important than the music, to me, is making sure the people who are listening know that I’m just like them. I have the same ups and downs in life as everyone else on this planet. I am not any different, I just chose rap as my diary." He's spreading what he calls 'Ghetto Literacy', and through his music he wants "to use the knowledge I’ve gained and give you something you can use.”
He's just dropped his latest track, Birds In The Bando, which sees him discussing rap platitudes, and talking about where he's come from. It's been an interesting journey for the California artist, but he's now got a platform to share his message with the world.
Speaking to the FADER about the song, he says, “The concept behind Birds In The Bando is how I saw capitalism growing up. It’s kinda like hood capitalism. We always hear that there’s only a couple ways out and we all know what those ways are.For some guys their way out is getting it from the streets and for some girls their way out is to get it from the guys who got it from the streets."
His new album title, Don't Run From R.A.P has a special meaning to him. “To me, R.A.P. stands for ‘Responsibilities and Principles'. Don’t run from yourself and who you truly are. I ran away from rap before, but I never will again. When people listen to me, I want them to find themselves and embrace who they are. Be yourself. I’m speaking for the people.” Something we can all keep in mind.
2020 is already shaping up to be a huge year for the rapper, and you'll want to keep an eye on what he gets up to. Don't Run From R.A.P drops on May 1st - and you'll want to check it out when it does.
