Single: Husalah – “Protect Your Soul” (Prod. by L-Finguz)
The Mob Figaz Emcee Explains The Fortitude Required to Survive on the Streets in this FADER-Premiered Single
06.6.2017
The Song:
Husalah is a deserved cult hero in Northern California. A member of the legendary Mob Figaz, Husalah was deemed to be next torchbearer for the Bay Area movement following the death of his friend and comrade, Mac Dre, but instead spent the following years embroiled in a federal drug conspiracy case, being on the run, and eventually, prison. All too familiar with the challenges and breaks life throws at you, Husalah runs through difficult realities in “Protect Your Soul,” his latest single. A fiery, apocalyptic mob anthem with a foreboding chorus, “Protect Your Soul” finds Husalah reflecting on how he struggles to survive with a hypnotic, unbreakable cadence. “Protect Your Soul” is a cautionary tale, but Husalah balances the scales with his powerful verses: “So make way as I unload the AK on your face/And 10,000 under the hood for a high speed chase.” Premiered by The FADER, “Protect Your Soul” is the latest single from Husalah’s upcoming project, which is slated to release soon.
“My mom, who had me as a teen, used to rap – she’s the one who started me rapping. She was a big fan of Sade and I’ve always loved everything about Sade too, including the things she stands for; her music is refined, she’s elegant and pure. But she had a dark side with the heroin addiction. This is my version of her “Bulletproof Soul” soul song. Even though I’m a gangsta, I just love Sade. I’m an iron fist with a velvet glove.”
Returning to the spotlight after a four year absence, Husalah made waves on the internet and on the streets with “M.O.B.,” his recent single. Earning critical acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork, who praised the track as “a bona fide slapper, triumphant and devilish all at once,” and Stereogum, who praised Young L‘s beat, saying it “sounds like someone taught R2D2 how to become supremely funky.” An original member of the Mob Figaz, alongside the late great The Jacka, Rydah J. Klyde, FedX, and AP.9, Husalah is a mainstay in the Bay Area scene. Creating a loyal cult with his mob music, his collaborations with Mac Dre, and his outrageous “Ghetto Olympics” videos, he was able to maintain his popularity even while behind bars in the mid ’00s, releasing his second album Huslin Since da 80’s and the extremely popular “From The Hood” while serving a sentence for drug trafficking. Inspired by the 2015 death of The Jacka, Husalah reignited his torch to keep the MOB movement alive. Keep an eye out for Husalah’s newest project, coming soon.
Listen to “Protect Your Soul”: https://soundcloud.com/husalah/protect-your-soul/
Check out the FADER premiere: http://www.thefader.com/2017/06/06/husalah-protect-your-soul-premiere
Please contact Michelle or Dharmic if interested in talking with Husalah.
Husalah Background:
Raised in the El Pueblo Housing Projects in Pittsburg, CA, from a family of esteemed criminals, Husalah was introduced to the trap at an early age. Now a legend in the Bay Area, Husalah first began rapping as a child, and caught his first break when founding father of Bay Area gangsta rap C-Bo, discovered him in 1997. C-Bo went on to start the Mob Figaz, whose members included Husalah, The Jacka, AP.9, Rydah J Klyde, & FedX. Since the release of the Mob Figaz first album in 1999, he has been a part of numerous compilations, singles, and featured appearances, staying relevant on the music scene. Husalah quickly became one of Bay Area icon Mac Dre’s favorite artists, and the two recorded many songs together. After Mac Dre’s death, he was expected to become the new torchbearer for the Bay Area movement.
However, before the release of his first solo album Harsh Reality (still unreleased), Husalah was a passenger in a car that was pulled over with more than 10 kilos of cocaine and became embroiled in a federal drug conspiracy case. After several years on the run, he was sentenced in 2006 and turned himself in. His first solo project Dope, Guns & Religion was released just prior to him going to jail and his second project, Huslin Since da 80’s, was released in April 2007 while he was incarcerated. Gaining his freedom in 2010, Husalah spent several years laying low, performing and releasing music strategically. Following the death of The Jacka, though, Husalah was pressured to release more music and keep the MOB movement alive. Finally, in 2017, he’s decided it is the perfect time to pick up the torch, and set fire to the game.
Links:
twitter | facebook | spotify | instagram
“Protect Your Soul”: https://soundcloud.com/husalah/protect-your-soul/
“M.O.B.”: https://soundcloud.com/husalah/mob // https://open.spotify.com/album/7J8m7dTdwMR4S8RhOHbJsI // https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/m-o-b-single/id1230644970
Huslin Since da 80’s: https://open.spotify.com/album/5MxLnFNQF2O1GAj2T0xx1X
Dope, Guns, & Religion: https://open.spotify.com/album/0TTtxyybKGhjZBTZuR4dBd
Bio, photos, and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/Husalah