“Geronimo” was recorded right after my Leaving Records performance. The song came directly from how I was feeling in that moment..excited, pumped and hype—

“Proud” was a bit more reflective. Inspired from conversation with my older sister really sparked it. I caught myself thinking about wanting to make her & the fam proud and hoping she understood the sacrifices I’ve made along the journey.

Music for me is a reflection of life..the highs and lows..the peaks the valleys..and that’s what make it all beautiful…and REAL. Being a fan of Leaving Records and Matthew for over a decade+, this moment means a lot & hella full circle. don’t over-cherish the art. Create…Let it go & Repeat. Blessing will follow. The cup of ideas is limitless and ever flowing . ♾️

• MoRuf

“Geronimo” is a beat that was built around an uncleared sample from ambient holy grail guitar album Evening Sky by Fripp & Eno. You already know the drill - this is one of my favorite albums of all time and ultra formative for me. I love re-contextualizing ambient music into rap beats. MoRuf is very proficient at recording vocals on his own terms, adding overdubs and effects. I glued everything together with a shitton of compression and distortion to give this one a punk-rock feel. All Genre.

“Proud” is one of my favorite beats I’ve made bc it’s simple, more-minimal back-to-basics approach to hip-hop production than a lot of my typical beat-driven music. MoRuf’s sentimental/heart-felt/personal subject matter took this one to exactly where it needed to go. The sample is another uncleared iconic song - you already know. That iconic little rhodes moment just before Curtis and The Impressions begin singing, I found some sort of sweet spot, and flipped into a more minor-key mood. Jonwayne told me he liked this beat. All Genre.

I met MoRuf only a few years back when he and his family moved to LA, (shouts to my ride-or-fucking die Raays) but immediately gravitated towards him due to his very present & consistent community-centered vision of his artistry, and of course the obvious flow+lyrical rap prowess. Practice Gratitude. Free Palestine, Free Sudan, Free Congo. None of us are truly free until we all are free.

• MD