Photo credit: Parker Plummer
(AllHipHop Music) Best known for his role as Tyrone Johnson on Marvel’s television series ‘Cloak & Dagger,’ in addition to playing Simba in the Broadway musical ‘The Lion King,’ actor turned recording artist, Aubrey Joseph unloads ‘XXI.’
Performing under the moniker Aubrey Omari (@aubreyomari), a combination of his first and middle name, the project serves as the Brooklyn native’s highly anticipated rap debut.
Composed of 13 cohesive cuts, including previously released single “Aston Martin,” the new album boasts features from Mduduzi Madela, NAJ, Féras Chatila, and Lamii.
Supported by self-directed music videos for “Cold” and “I Waited/Benz,” which feature a clip from his 2018 Breakfast Club interview as well as still images of Breonna Taylor and childhood friend Pop Smoke, ‘XXI’ is equally socially relevant as it is introspective.
Aubrey on the album:
“I gave 100% of myself on this album. Understanding that my debut can never be re-done, I put an extensive amount of energy and time into every single record. Once this comes out, it’s out forever and it’s part of my legacy as a rapper. During the creation process, I studied what I view as not only the greatest debuts in Hip-Hop, but the greatest Hip-Hop albums of all time; I wanted to match that vibe.
Paying homage to my East New York roots while simultaneously bringing something fresh to the scene was important. Detailing my journey from the block to Billboards, boy to man, and as the title suggests teenager to adult (21); a dream I was told would never come true, this album is my audio biography. Told in the most vulnerable way I could think of, this album is both a proclamation and manifestation of my own destiny as one day being one of the greatest ever to ever touch a mic.”
Take a listen to the project below.