There’s a plethora of strong and versatile artists making competitive music on the West Coast, and Filipino-Canadian artist BOURGEOIS Z deserves to be recognized as one of the rising talents who got his bars up this past year. Although he considers Vancouver home and reps the West as his base, he was actually born in Ottawa before making the move to this side.
In recent weeks he dropped the visuals for his most recent single, “EMILY OBERG.” The video vibrantly captures some of the great vibes that BOURGEOIS Z brings to his music, and incorporates his individual chilled and laid-back sound.
Through e-mail correspondence the artist was able to explain that the song was inspired, specifically, by, “The woman who took the world by storm effortlessly through her beauty, energy, equipped with her ‘Sporty & Rich‘ style and finesse.” An accurate tribute to Emily Oberg, who became a prominent face on the scene during her stint at Complex. The JNJENT-directed music video combines stylized animations from KaceyKal! with a plot that introduces the rapper to a beautiful love interest who has an uncanny resemblance to the celebrity.
Stream the single below, and check out our quick Q&A with BOURGEOIS Z about how Emily responded to the tribute, after the drop.
Q&A: BOURGEOIS Z
HipHopCanada: Did Emily reach out to you when the song initially came out?
BOURGEOIS Z: Yeah, she commented on one of my posts on Instagram about the record so I had to message her.
HipHopCanada: Were you surprised that it caught her attention?
BOURGEOIS Z: Kind of, but not really you know? With how active she is on social media, I figured she was bound to hear it one way or another. What really surprised me was when she gassed the single on all of her socials without me asking. She did it for weeks when it first came out. I was super grateful. She also thanked me for the tribute, saying it was a “fye song.” So I’m glad that she genuinely rocks with the joint.
HipHopCanada: After your brief interaction with her what would you have to say about Emily?
BOURGEOIS Z: Man…she’s dope. Her style, sneaker collection, and especially her taste in music…it’s unmatched. Energy as well. Even though she’s got hella’ followers she sees it all and doesn’t hesitate to engage with her fans. You tend to appreciate people with fame and status more when they’re humble and down to earth.
Interview conducted by Kira Hunston for HipHopCanada
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