Mentorships from veteran artists is something that has thrived the Hip Hop culture for eons and Tate Kobang seems to be the latest upstart to become a beneficiary.
The 23-year-old breakout rapper—by way of Baltimore—recently divulged that he is utilizing the services of a one Swizz Beatz to hold down executive producing opportunities for his upcoming studio debut album, set to be released on 300 Entertainment.
“We’re about to work on this album,” he tells The Baltimore Sun‘s Wesley Case during a recent interview. “Swizz Beatz is executive producing the album. We’re looking to drop around September. Looking to do my own tour. I know I got a couple of tours coming up that we’re working on getting on and everything. We’re going to shoot everything for this mixtape. I’m going to be everywhere, man. People are going to get tired of seeing me.”
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Kobang’s visibility has already begun to set a pace this year. The “mixtape” he is referring to is his inaugural label debut, Since We’re Here, released just last week. The project boasts contributions from names such as Rich Da Kid and Jay IDK and production from Chuck Inglish and Nitti Beatz. The iconic producer, whose scored platinum-selling soundscapes from everyone from Jay Z, Beyonce and even Chris Brown, really saw something unique in Kobang, according to Kobang.
“Man, listen. Swizz was like, ‘Man, I’ma let you know, I get a million artists come across me every day, and there ain’t nothing special about them,'” he continued. “There’s something about you. You it! You got ‘it!’ It is what it is. I was like, ‘Man, whatever ‘it’ is, I’m glad I got it, because this is crazy.’ We gonna link up and we gonna make magic.”
Maryland’s biggest city has always been equipped with all the poverty-stricken ethos and ghetto fabulousness (not to mention a buffet platter for fictional inspiration thanks to HBO’s storied series, The Wire) to make them a mainstream rap dream but for whatever reason, the city hasn’t made a consistent impact on the climate. Kobang is not only looking to make an impact on the national scale, he’s also looking to take care of home first.
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“I’m also doing a shoe drive,” he added on top of his mounting album plans. “I do a shoe drive every year on my mother’s birthday. That’s April 19 in Baltimore, which is also the [anniversary] of the Freddie Gray [death], so we’re going to do it right on North Avenue. We’re going to bring live music, cook out. We’re just going to have fun in the city.”
Stream Kobang’s Since We’re Here, right here.
