Jamaica-born, Virginia-raised artist Masego (born Micah Davis) oozes out a hypnotic and seductive concoction of sounds that might have been difficult to describe had he not already coined it TrapHouseJazz at the beginning of his career.
It’s a pretty bang-on description too. The multi-instrumentalist takes elements from R&B and jazz, and melds them seamlessly with trap and house sounds.
With his unique concoction of irresistibly smooth sounds, Masego is the world’s next huge R&B star… if you’re not already aware, it’s time to change that.
It was this unique collection of sounds that drove his Pink Polo EP to international critical acclaim. The eight-track release is brimming smooth-as-hell vocal delivery, infectious production, and saxophone work that’ll seep deep into your bones.
Since then, Masego has released a string of consistently great singles – Navajo, Tadow, Lady Lady, and most recently Old Age.
On Old Age, the artist teams with SiR to deliver an ode to women he admires and desires from an older age bracket. In fact, all his songs are based around his experiences with women, and how those women shaped his understanding of what it means to be a man.
“I need a sugar mama, old lady, foxy mama, sophisticated… old age don’t me nothin’ to me,” he sings. “Wise men said age ain’t nothin’ but a number.”
Having taught himself to play bass, drums, guitar, piano and saxophone in high school, Masego was the son of two preachers based in a Christian community in Virginia. It’s a scene that feels pretty far removed from his situation a few years later, starting block parties in Brooklyn via Twitter.
It was when Davis left home for Old Dominion University that he was educated in the musical stylings of acts like Outkast and Kanye West – acts we was not privy to under his previous situation. It was his exposure to these acts that layed the groundwork for the music he’s go on to craft.
Next month, Masego will release his debut full-length album Lady Lady, produced by the legendary Sounwave. The album is the culmination of years of hard work from the artist – travelling across the globe multiple times, continually refining his alluring sounds.
Judging from what we’ve heard so far from this Virginia-based songwriter, I think it’s safe to expect plenty more great tunes courtesy of Masego.
For now, do yourself a favour and listen to the sultry sounds of Old Age above.
