pink siifu announces new album, ‘negro,’ releases video for title track

In July of 2018 Livingston Matthews invited us into a world. That summer the rapper, producer, and sometimes singer who performs under the name Pink Siifu had released his album, ensley, on Bandcamp and the project was a portal into time, place and mood as much as it was a body of music. The world of Pink Siifu, as represented by ensley, was warm as the summer sun or a hug from a loved one, and featured the freeform musings of a lyricist more concerned with conveying emotion than dazzling the mind — it was music made to be felt. It was also very, very, Black and an introduction to a community of like-minded artist in his orbit like MIKE, Liv.E, Mavi, Ahwlee, and Maxo — artists who in 2020, represent the vanguard of a  grassroots movement of news sound and aesthetics rooted in the hip-hop, soul and jazz of the past but reaching toward a brighter Black future.

Since the release of ensley, Pink Siifu’s been prolific and in high demand: he’s put out collaborative projects with artists such as Ahwlee, his partner in the duo B. Cool-Aid, and indie MCs Akai Solo and YUNGMORPHEUS. He’s also become a frequent featured artist popping up on projects by beatsmiths Teebs and Mndsgn — even appearing on an Avalanches song with Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo. Now in April when the world feels upside down and we’re all in need of release and relief Pink Siifu is dropping his new single from the forthcoming album of the same name, “,NEGRO.”

Sampling Eddie Kendricks’s 1977 classic intimate friends the song is a meditation of struggle, hustle, and resilience. A dedication to all his “nxggas,” the video features picture in picture performances of Siifu rapping to camera while a collage of Black images both personal and iconic flash around him — this is yet another invitation to go deeper into his world.

Via text message, in his own version of AAVE , Siifu gives us context for the single and the album coming this Thursday on April 9 via his site:

“This Album to me, is prolly my most important one at this point in my career cuz it’s coming off me releasing Ensley, and eye feel y’all have been waiting on a solo release since then. So it was a lot on anxiety in even releasing this, not because it explores other soundscapes and places but becuz this album is really really personal but also a statement from tha frustration of my ppl. Eye feel like all my fav albums intention was to inspire and teach pass just self, tha act of true selfless expression and gems left has been tha inspiration for a lot of my fav music. Music eye tend to continue do this album is me trying that unapologetically. This song was tha last song recorded for tha album and just felt like it needed to be on tha album sorta like a light at tha end of tha tunnel. Eddie Kendricks prolly my fav singer and he was born and raised in Birmingham, my pops would always play me his records, no funni shit, eye feel a ancestral connection w tht nxgga. So this song complete tha whole album, and that’s why it’s tha first to be heard by tha public, cuz tha final piece is really only just tha beginning. Eye hope u like tha album but also eye hope u take tha time to digest tha weight and layers of it all. Made specifically for my people. May Allah continue to bless us. 🖤”

Pink Siifu, NEGRO Track list

1.BLACKisGod,A ghetto-sci-fi tribute(_G) ( drums by Blaque Dynamite percussion by Nonchalant Savage bass saxophone and flute by Keenyn Omari trumpet by Christopher Williams arrangement by iiye)
2.SMD ( prod. Jeremiah Jae)
3.FK ( prod. Roper Williams x AshTreJenkins)
4.we need mo color. Abundance ( Coto Loco x Jerald Frazier x iiye guitar by Gato)
5.BLACK!
6. Adam x Jalen, eye luv u. prod. iiye
7. ameriKKKa, try no pork. (prod. iiye( trumpet by Christopher Williams)
8. run pig run. ( prod. Slauson Malone x Nick Hakim)
9. DEADMEAT ( prod. Jeremiah Jae)
10. myheartHURT. ( prod. iiye)
11. Chris Dorner. ( michael lundy)
12. Nation Tyme.
13. homicide/genocide/ill die ft Ted Kamal ( prod. Roper Williams)
14. bebe’s kids, APOLLO ft Moor Mother ( prod. Jeremiah Jae)
15. dirt ft Na-Kel Smith ( prod. Psychopop)
16. faceless wings,BLACK! ft The OGM (prod. Psychopop)
17. blackest LOVE, like paint on tha wall (prod. iiye)
18. steal from the ENEMY ( prod. Roper Williams.
19. .ON FIRE, PRAY! ( prod. Michael Lundy)
20. Black Be Tha God, NEGRO. ( wisdom.cipher) ( prod. iiye)

additional thanks to Akeema Zane, Caleb Giles, and Allah. Mastered by tha only Zeroh