Less than a month after the release of his first single “Pheli Makaveli (Intro)” off his upcoming Pheli Makaveli album curated by Zoocci Coke Dope, Pheli has released the second single off said album. This time he enlists A-Reece on the sombre yet reassuring song, aptly titled “Hustler’s Prayer”. The two emcees spend the entirety of the song conveying the precarity of their lives, yet reassuring their people of their allegiance and loyalty to them despite it all.
The Zoocci Coke Dope produced song spots a soulful overall soundscape, with a thumping bass and hard-hitting drums that are interspersed with faint 808s. Pheli starts it off with an exceptional half-sung and half-rapped chorus, declaring that, “I grew up with my nigga, how many times we hit licks in the slums with the opps? I won’t kill you, I love you my nigga, all of the times we had nothing I thought you would fold but instead, it’s all love with you nigga… how many times I got bullets and pigeons to show you that I’m finna die for my niggas? I’ll die for my niggas…”
While Pheli delivers a great verse after the hook, it’s A-Reece whose verse adds another dimension to the subject matter. He talks about the unfortunate and recent death of his pops, as well as sharing the frustrations of the current pandemic before he reiterates the notion that he also will die for his niggas. He raps, “Got a call that my pops on the hospital bed, drowning in all of those tears that I shed, told him I’ll pay for whatever, he told me ‘Forget it, just pay me a visit instead.’, this fucking pandemic ain’t letting up, he died and I ain’t get to look at his face, tell him I love him before the Lord took him away, nothing was ever the same… ”
“Hustler’s Prayer” as a single is a slight departure from the first single “Pheli Makaveli (Intro)”, which was a more audacious and brazen song. “Hustler’s Prayer” on the other hand is a more sombre and humane song, which indicates that Pheli’s rollout of singles is a thought-through and strategic endeavor because with the two singles he has shown the breadth and depth of the album. Scheduled for an end of July release, the upcoming album will be Pheli’s debut since inking a deal with Sony Music SA.
Listen to 25K’s “Hustler’s Prayer” Featuring A-Reece below:
