[MEDIA RELEASE] Acclaimed Los Angeles-via-Atlanta-via-New York rapper, producer & singer J57 – aka James Victor Heinz (he/him) who has collaborated with Wu-Tang Clan, Joey Bada$$, Sid Wilson(Slipknot), Tuka (Thundamentals), and many more – today unveils the indie-meets-hip-hop sound he’s been honing for over a decade, sharing details of his forthcoming album The Hyphenate: Disc 1 with lead single ‘The Heart in My Soul’ featuring fellow US artists Slug (Atmosphere) and Santa Fey alongside an animated video. ‘The Heart in My Soul’ is out everywhere now. The Hyphenate: Disc 1 is out May 31 through J57’s own label FiveSe7en Collective – presave/preorder HERE.
Boasting further collaborations with the likes of Snoop Dogg, Action Bronson, and as a ghostwriter / ghost producer for some of the biggest names in music, J57 has earned a reputation as one of the most prolific and chameleonic artists in the scene. His “departure album” The Hyphenate: Disc 1 is a straight-from-the-heart blend of hip-hop, indie, alternative and folk that will resonate with fans of artists as diverse in sound as Kid Cudi, K.Flay & Mike Shinoda.
Originally crafted on a beat-up computer over a decade ago then revamped years later with co-producer Joe Rogers aka The Grand Concourse (The Strokes, Laura Stevenson, Joanna Sternberg), ‘The Heart in My Soul’ immediately cuts through with bright, brash, reverb-heavy harmonica synths that evoke cruising down a coastal highway on a late night and a buoyant chorus/bridge from LA-based singer Santa Fey. J57’s bars parse his experiences with anxiety and imposter syndrome peppered with playful pop culture references from Dick Wolf and Myers-Briggs personality types to Get Smart and Ryan Seacrest, with long-time friend and collaborator Slug (of Minnesota rap duo Atmosphere) adding his own commanding, uplifting verse. It arrives alongside a mid-00s-style animated video by Dom Fernandez aka D2R(JuiceWRLD, Kid Cudi, Lil Wayne) featuring J57’s JBOT robot avatar, originally created illustrator and tattoo artist Tom Bates to act as the artist’s own “astral projection” and introduced via the cover of J57’s album Death By Astral Projection (2022) in a visual homage to Phoebe Bridgers’ Punisher.
J57 says of the release,
“This song made me realise that I have what it takes. I remember sitting at my old computer and playing some midi chords then bouncing the sounds down and re-sampling it in Propellerhead Reason/via my MPD (before this was a popular thing to do haha). About a week after we recorded Santa Fey’s vocals (he’s a phenomenal singer and I really think we captured some magic), I had my first meeting with a big label who wanted to sign me immediately after hearing the beat/chorus – mine and Slug‘s vocals weren’t even on the song yet. I wrote / recorded my verse 3 different times before I approached Slug, I wanted to show him the best that I could do after being a fan of his for 20 years. In the end the deal didn’t match what I was looking to do – it just led to a new chapter for me as a songwriter. I will always love this song for that.”
