As the world increasingly embraces the global sounds of hip hop and Afrobeats, onto the stage enters Ancestral Art – a new sound – inspired by hip hop artist Draze, the Emmy Award-Winning songwriter-rapper, who magically blend the melodious sounds of Africa with the raw energy of hip hop, creating a vibe all its own.
Mazvita, the new single from Draze’s upcoming album, “African American,” was released on Friday. It’s a song Draze describes as a cultural experience.
Mazvita, which means “thank you” in the Shona language of Zimbabwe, is a song that bridges cultures. The song transports listeners from a typical hood in America to a typical village in Zimbabwe and is a personal “thank you” to my mother, father, grandparents and the communities who raised me in both Africa and America.
Draze credits his parents for his unique sound that he’s dubbed Ancestral Arts. In an era when every instrument on a song is synthesized, Draze physically plays marimba on the track.
Marimba, which is the predecessor to the Xylophone, is a traditional Zimbabwean instrument taught to Draze by his father, Dumisani Maraire Sr., the world-renowned Marimba player who taught Marimba at the University of Washington.
Draze says that he plays marimba on the track as a way to honour his late father.
In my eyes, my father was the greatest Marimba player ever. I play the instrument in salute to him, and my mother, Lora Chiorah. Actually having my mother and sister, Danai Maraire, sing on the track really added the traditional element.
In creating the video for Mazvita, Draze aimsed to display the duality of being African and American.
With the video, I want to inspire black people around the world to see themselves also as African, and to see one another as family. When we get to that point we will truly be unstoppable.
Leaning into his experience as an American rapper and songwriter with over 6,500 song placements on TV, Draze tapped producer Vitamin D to collaborate with on the track.
Vitamin D is most widely known for producing artists like Lil Wayne, Torey Lanes and 50 Cents Big Rich Town from his Power series. Together, they produced a track that highlights Drazes’ sick lyrical abilities and multi-hyphenated skillset.
Draze says that Mazvita is the purest way to tease “African American,” his upcoming album.
From the Lyricism to the storytelling, to the cultural vibes and raw 808 drums, this track is like the whole album wrapped into one song.
Dubbed the King of Sync, today, Draze is one of the most sought-after hip-hop songwriters on the Hollywood scene. Draze’s music has been featured on television’s hottest shows–including The Masked Singer, The Voice, Who Killed Sarah, Inventing Anna, Empire, Love and Hip Hop, Ballers and CW’s All American, among many others.
Draze’s latest single, “Mazvita” and upcoming album, “African American,” blend hard-hitting beats with the traditional sounds of Zimbabwe to create a fresh sound he calls Ancestral Art.
Checkout the video for Mazvita here.
