After spending 7 years in Berlin I can tell you that besides the amazing party scene, it’s an a breeding ground for creativity beyond the realm of electronic music. Tons of projects (hi COLORS, Majestic and Lekker Collective), great artists, singers, street musicians and producers. When these creative people find themselves together on the streets of this beautiful city, something beautiful emerges.
at the crib is the brain child of producer narou, Cali rapper Mike Nasa and Kijana – a singer with a killer voice. “40 in the Friendzone” is the epitome of perfection. It’s the kind of track to play while watching the long sunsets at Templehof. Something to play to the person you truly love. Honestly, if you dig Smino / No Name vibe, then you will absolutely love this.
Mike Nasa shares,
“40ITFZ” is a way for us to re-examine deeper social constructs like consent, perceived ownership, and control over others while making a bop about getting curved”
When it comes to the production behind it and how it came about, narou holds nothing back,
“I really challenged myself to create a song with as little elements as possible. A vibey guitar riff and a simple baseline leave enough space for our voices to shine. I love how each of us has our own little moment and how we all come together in the end“
And finally the glue of everything – Kijana’s wonderful silky voice.
This track is not necessarily just about romantic relationships. It’s about being labeled ‘too much’ or ‘too little’ by the outside world. Friends, family, society, your lover, (fill in the blank).
You’re too intense. Too demanding. Too quiet. Never the right amount of something.
Eventually, you then feel like you have to adjust your pace to fulfill a certain role. Slowly but surely, you get so used to that watered-down version of yourself, and you finally queue into that lane another person and/or the outside world is assigning you to. In the end, you just feel depleted.