SA hip hop royalty A-Reece has just released a new mixtape in the form of the 7-track Deadlines: Free P2. Featuring household names such as Emtee and Dj Maphorisa, as well as frequent collaborators and label mates, Jay Jody and Marcus Harvey, the tape is his second project of the year after the 4/20 released The Burning Tree. Yolophonik and American rapper Quintin Miller complete the feature list.
The mixtape houses the usual A-Reece braggadocio raps, as well as more heartfelt and vulnerable compositions. On the Miller assisted “Death”, he raps, “Giving more than what I get, that shit gon’ be the death of me/ Loyalty, respect, I swear that shit gon’ be the death of me/ Well, it better be/ Lately I got a trust deficiency/ It’s like some of my friends mirror my enemies/ When I would show you love, the more it you thinking less of me/ This big heart inside my chest, that shit gon’ be the death of me…”, which finds him wrestling with his mortality and all that he believed in while alive, which ironically may lead to his death.
Songs like “Intentions” featuring Marcus Harvey find Baby Boy talking to his love interest, pouring his heart out, while on “Different Things” he is joined by Yolophonik to share sweet nothings when it comes to love and weed.
Two surprising collaborators on the album include famed amapiano king Maphorisa and South African rap legend Emtee. Speaking on the songs resulting off these collaborations, A-Reece says “Emtee and I finally link up after six years of highs and lows, dropping out of our former label, going independent and taking on more responsibility for our own careers. Soulkit sent me a beat pack with like 8 beats on it. Before even running through the rest of the pack I was stuck on the third beat. Kept playing it for like a week just enjoying it.
Then once I knew what I wanted to talk about it just organically came together. The intro of the beat was a big part of the reason too. After that, it wasn’t rocket science who needed to get on it – and would compliment me perfectly. I knew with the concept I had, one person who’d relate the most would be Emtee.Simply because he played a major role in my come up journey. And I also believe both our come up stories have some similarities.
So I just called him up, set up a session at my crib and had him over after the SAMA weekend, and man, watching Emtee cook has always been a privilege. The man is a legend. It’s crazy how everything came back full circle”
On his work with Maphorisa, he adds, “Dj Maphorisa and I have always wanted to create something special together. I remember this one time when I was at his crib recording songs with him he told me something that really stuck until this day. He told me I already have it in me to create quality music. I just need to experiment with it more, you know – break boundaries, explore and challenge myself.
So every time I create a record that drifts away from the norm or what people are used to hearing me on I think of what he said and use it as motivation because I take him as my mentor. When I made “ Something To Fight For “ I could instantly hear him on it. I just knew it needed his direction.
I only had the hook and half of my verse done when I sent it to him for some input. He was out of the country but said he’ll listen to it when he has time. And man when he sent it back I was just inspired to finish off my verse immediately. He just took it to another level, switched the arrangement, added vocal backings and a bridge and gave the song life.”
Listen to A-Reece’s Deadlines: Free P2 here:
