ZRi.: His Abstract And Extraordinary Debut, SAMO

In a time where local music has soared to new heights and South Africa becoming the new hub for all things art, be it music or fashion, I still think there’s much more to explore in this country many of us call home.

I recently went down a rabbit hole where I discovered artists I’d never heard of and believed it was my duty to introduce readers to new music makers they may or may not be familiar with. This was when I found 19-year-old ZRi. (pronounced Zuu-Ree) who makes Alternative music and whose sound captivated my eardrums.

Admittedly, I haven’t been listening to ZRi. for long. However, though I can’t recall my first encounter, I was locked in from the jump and have been counting down the days to his debut album release. SAMO is finally here.

There is a whole different space of music being made right under our noses and ZRi. seems to have grown a loyal and supportive fan base.

In his new project, ZRi. expanded his reach and worked with a variety of artists. The likes of Oxii Moron and Tyson Sybateli, with whom ZRi. has worked, as well as many others offered a great deal of their creativity to make SAMO what it is today.

SAMO

Sitting at 10 tracks long, a 17-minute run throughout, ZRi. proclaimed this album as one of the best to drop this year. “Not the type of artist to talk about my music but I can confidently say that SAMO top 5 projects of this year,” he tweeted, “this is something I’ll stand for 4L.”

The album is a work of art where ZRi. explores his artistry through experimenting with flows, production (from boom-bap to lofi to electro-pop), as well as his sonic relationship with his featured accomplices.

“The closest thing to Basquiat”

Drawing the inspiration behind his art cover from Jean-Michel Basquiat, ZRi. sees himself as “the closest thing” to the famous Neo-expressitionalist.

SAMO (originally pronounced “Same-Oh” i.e. “Same Old Shit) is a graffiti tag primarily used between the 1970s and 80s in the streets of New York City by Basquiat and collaborator, Albert “Al” Diaz. This project is also a collaborative effort between ZRi and Steveisfrench who was instrumental in bringing SAMO to life.

He delves into the various facets of his being; love, art, his vices, and much more, where he further tips his hat to Jean-Michel through skits and acknowledging SAMO.

Thoroughly enjoyed listening to and dissecting this body of work, kudos to ZRi. and his team for their efforts in producing a masterpiece.

Run it up: