Sydney rapper Phi11a has realised a long-standing goal, teaming up with emo-trap artist Trippie Redd for his latest single, “Witness”.
The last year has undoubtedly been a big one for Phi11a, with the announcement of a signing to Def Jam ANZ and the release of his debut single “Overdose” all taking place within the space of just a week.
Almost immediately, the praise came thick and fast. Working with producers like Supah Mario (Drake, Young Thug) and Jimmy Duval (XXXTentacion, Lil Pump, Ski Mask the Slump God, and Rich The Kid), Phi11a soon received airplay on triple j, and scored some shout-outs from the likes of D12 and DMX, undeniably setting himself up as one to watch on the global scene.
Following the release of “Overdose” and a surprise four-track mixtape titled Sad Cowboy Shit, the Western Sydney artist has now released his biggest and most exciting track to date.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_EorZfhJPX/
Teasing the release of “Witness” on Instagram last week, the hazy tune features none other than US emo-trap artist Trippie Redd – someone who had been on the mind of Phi11a when he started recording the demo of the tune on a $300 mic in his home in 2018.
“It’s crazy,” he explained. “When I originally started working on this song, I thought of either Trippie or Young Thug for the feature (if there’d be one). So even from the start I feel like the song had his energy in it.”
A perfect addition to the track, Phi11a noted that Trippie was the only artist who could bring the talent needed to complement this lo-fi gem.
“He understood the spookiness and gloom within the song, but also its explosive potential,” Phi11a explains. “His verse is crazy. It’s straight from the playbook of my favourite Trippie era.”
“Witness” is officially out now via streaming services everywhere.
