"a creative who has built a career on inclusivity, not exclusivity, because success to him is about being with his people."- Re:
Harking back to his career defining sonic roots of West African Highlife under previous moniker “Unchained XL”, Aotearoa New Zealand based artist and producer Mazbou Q delivers the new brass heavy Hip hop anthem, ‘Go and Be Free’. Fusing Fela Kuti style soundscapes with modern 808 based production, Mazbou Q inspires his audience to dance through hardship by telling the story of how he found joy within deep loss.
Mazbou Q references his Nigerian heritage as he describes how the contrast of celebration and pain is at the heart of the song. “In my culture, we find ways to be joyous in the midst of deep pain. Our funerals, for example, are huge celebrations with singing, dancing and food because they are celebrations of a life once had. This song at its core is likewise about celebrating the good times with somebody, whilst saying a painful goodbye”.
The track is accompanied by a music video directed by Gal Hochman, capturing a fictional intimate live performance by Mazbou Q and band, with cinematography and colour grading reminiscent of “Leave the Door Open” by Silk Sonic. The video focuses on a couple who are unsuspectingly impacted by the song’s relevance to their situation.
Mazbou Q explains that although it’s a couple being depicted in the video, it’s not necessarily a romantic relationship being spoken to by the song itself. “Whether it’s a couple calling it quits, a parent bidding farewell to their child moving out of home, or two good friends deciding to go their separate ways - most of us know what it is like to say goodbye when we really don’t want to. The song is to remind people that although it hurts, there’s always an opportunity to find the beauty in it”