If the Brussels rapper Avishaï introduces us to a first EP in early 2024, the 28-year-old artist is not quite the newcomer in the music space. As soon as 2015, he turned his love for American Hip-Hop into music after spending a year in the Bay Area in California. This double-crush for rap and American culture will take the shape of a mixtape called ‘The Glory Days‘ which will help him get noticed by the likes of Concours Circuit and Tremplin de Dour.

 


The young man then gets a college degree, learns how to produce his own tracks and integrates his multi-instrumentalist background into his production. At the same time, he copes with his difficult return to Belgium and the grief-like nostalgia of a golden year in the US, which will ultimately inspire him in his writing process.

 

All of this culminates today into the single ‘MAY’, which speaks to his last day in California and the impossibility of saying farewell.

As illustrated in the music video, Avishaï evokes in ‘MAY’ this ghost that he pursues in vain, trying to capture one last time the magic of this special moment in time. As to get over it once and for all. 

 

A ghost that ultimately burns, like the turn of a page, a moment of the past that he tries unwillingly to let go. This song serves as the intro for the rapper’s first EP to which he gave the evocative and nostalgic name ‘LAST TIME I SAW YOU’.


Melancholy in the subject matter, nostalgia in the lyrics but also an intensely colorful production made of spatial melodic layers, a subtle west-coast sound and some 808s that will shake any soundsystem.

 

A first single as an opening door to Avishaï’s musical and artistic universe which you will discover the multiple facets of in the upcoming months.


By Mr. Benjamins

Egbodo Benjamin – Founder & CEO of This Is Hip Hop HQ Egbodo Benjamin is the visionary founder and CEO of This Is Hip Hop HQ Magazine, a premier platform dedicated to amplifying voices in the hip-hop industry. His commitment to authentic music journalism and artist promotion has positioned This Is Hip Hop HQ as a trusted space for rising talents and industry discussions. In 2024, Benjamin was recognized as a Founder of the Year (Under 30) Nominee by FOYA.Africa, a testament to his impact and entrepreneurial excellence in the digital media and entertainment space. Beyond music and media, he is also a Quantity Surveyor, bringing precision, strategy, and analytical thinking to every project he undertakes. His diverse expertise bridges the gap between structured business growth and creative storytelling, making him a dynamic force in both industries. Under his leadership, This Is Hip Hop HQ continues to grow as a global hub for hip-hop culture, artist reviews, and industry insights.

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