Zay is setting the terms for his engagement with the industry, while also showcasing the grit that has fueled his rapid ascent.
One thing is clear about Zaylevelten: He lives his raps. On “Guide Pass,” one of his biggest singles yet, he raps ‘Try me, get my yami wey go bounce you,’ and that’s precisely what happened a few days ago.
Over the weekend, there was a viral altercation between Carter Efe and the rising rapper and his team at Famous Pluto’s debut album release party, resulting in a heated exchange caught on stream. Carter Efe immediately expressed his frustrations at being denied an interview, calling out the perceived pride of Zaylevelten, his team, and up-and-coming artists in general.
The following day, Zaylevelten addressed the debacle on “Talk Freestyle,” a new release that was leaked via his manager’s Soundcloud page. Halfway into the freestyle, Zaylevelten directed some pointed shots at Carter Efe. ‘Because I dey spit, you think say I be Carter Efe,’ he raps cheekily, dissing the streamer while flexing his lyrical ability. The freestyle is buoyed by this sort of sharp wordplay and a demeanour that radiates the same level of self-assurance and confidence that has defined his journey to date. He goes on to ask rhetorically: ‘Why e dey pain you, if you no see the wave why e dey pain you,’ sending a strong message that he’s unmoved by industry fluff and not interested in sucking up to gatekeepers or figures like Carter Efe.
Before shelling out some lines for the popular streamer, Zaylevelten establishes a firm boundary, cautioning listeners against interpreting his silence as a sign of weakness. ‘Because I no wan talk, dem dey talk,’ he asserts early on in the freestyle. Similar to how Asake addressed some of the backchat about him on “Military,” an Audiomack-exclusive where he rebuffed several misconceptions about him, Zaylevelten uses “Talk Freestyle” as an opportunity to seize control of his own narrative, putting everyone on notice that he’s not one to be messed with.
If some of his earlier lines didn’t convey his message properly, he raps, ‘E get some kind men wey dey follow me, Thank God say dem no follow me come,’ with a menacing tone towards the end of the freestyle, warning future trespassers that shit ain’t sweet. This sort of cocksure approach is precisely what makes “Talk Freestyle” excel. Zay is setting the terms for his engagement with the industry, while also showcasing the grit and unfiltered lyricism that have fueled his rapid ascent.
Listen to “Talk Freestyle” here.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source thenativemag.com ’
