If you’ve ever heard of the R&B group Sonder, or if you’re familiar with the single, “Crew” with rappers Goldlink and Shy Glizzy, then you may already know of Brent Faiyaz. I, myself was first introduced to the Maryland native rapper through rnbaecollective’s IG page, and ever since then, I’ve lowkey been a fan!
Born and raised in Columbia, Maryland as Christopher Brent Wood, 24, Brent Faiyaz is not your typical music artist. The Maryland rapper turned singer and record producer is not one who you would box into one particular genre of music – his voice, sound, and tone are all very unique. Although fans have begun to take a liking to Faiyaz and the music that he puts out, Brent Faiyaz makes music that genuinely and naturally feels good to him, regardless of what others think. In fact, in an interview with Rolling Stone, Faiyaz stated, “I just don’t really give a fuck about what anybody wants to hear. If I feel like making something, if I feel like saying something on the track, that’s what I am going to do…”
Prior to relocating to Los Angeles, California to further his career in music, Faiyaz and his family relocated from his hometown to Charlotte, North Carolina. Faiyaz first released his music to the world in 2014 on SoundCloud and up until this time, rapping was his true passion – drawing inspiration from other musical geniuses such as Lil Wayne, Curren$y, Curtis Mayfield, and Gill Scott-Heron. In fact, if you’ve ever heard Faiyaz’s song, “Clouded,” you may get a taste of each artists’ style through the delivery of his message.
Nonetheless, it wasn’t until he was inspired by his manager that Faiyaz decided to make a transition from rapping to singing; later releasing his debut single, “Allure” on January 19, 2015. Following the formation of the group Sonder, Faiyaz along with his other two group members, Dpat and Atu, released their debut single “Too Fast” in October 2016.
In October 2017, Brent Faiyaz released his debut album, Sonder Son. The release along with his consistency helped introduce him to a new fan base, which continue to support him today.
Faiyaz’s most recent project is his Fuck the World EP. His single “Fuck the World (Summer in London)” has over 7.9 million views on YouTube. The story behind this EP is two-fold – “fuck the world, fuck all the negativity…fuck the injustice, and the bullshit,” Faiyaz said in he aforementioned Rolling Stone interview. In addition, he points out that “fuck the world” can also be translated as living that “rock star” lifestyle – “fucking women, getting money,” and just having a lustful mentality.
As an independent artist, Faiyaz has created his own lane musically without having to answer to any record label, and after listening to his music, it’s clear that he doesn’t need one to make it in this industry. Faiyaz’s futuristic spin on R&B is just what us music lovers have been missing – we just didn’t realize it until after he came on the scene.
Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Burberry
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