CZAR Josh just dropped his second single, “EyezOnThaPrize,” from his upcoming EP.
The Jungle Hype-produced track shows Josh diving into the roots of his personal struggles while Kay Sade flows over this boom-bap influenced instrumental.
We asked the emcee to answer a few questions for our Fast 5 Fridays segment.
1. What is the general message behind this song?
The general message behind “Eyez” is basically one of endurance, hope, and redemption. It represents anyone who has ever failed at something, but not been deterred by that failure. It represents a refusal to lose hope in these trying times that we live in now.
2. How did you get inspired to create it?
Honestly, some fairly dark moments and shortfalls motivated me to write this song. There was a lengthy period of time where a lot was going wrong in my life: I had money problems, it wasn’t looking like I would graduate on time, friendships fell apart, past baggage put a strain on my relationship, and then, of course, current events would be even more depressing on top of it all.
It was a lot and I really had nowhere to turn but to God. And writing this song was one way that I could actively believe that God would work everything out. I really wrote this song in faith, for happier days.
This kind of led to the structure of the song too. My first verse is personal, my second is political and Kay Sade’s kind of combines both in her verse. She really was the perfect fit the song, everything she brought flowed organically.
Outkast and the Goodie Mob, two of my favorite rap groups, inspired this cut as well. One of my favorite hip-hop songs ever is “Git Up, Git Out” and that inspired the overall “get up and go” attitude of the song as well as my shoutout to East Georgia in the hook, where I was raised. I just felt the need to represent my home and the blue-collar mentality of many of the people where I’m from.
3. Who produced the song and how’d the production come about?
Erik Kingsley aka Jungle Hype produced the record. It really was a big deal to me, to be able to rap over something from a guy so talented.
I got to meet Jungle for a brief time because we went to college together for a little bit. This was right before he started pursuing music full time and saw his early success with the Dream Junkies.
I found the beat for “Eyez” on his Soundcloud and instantly fell in love with it. The lyrics came naturally and the rest is history.
4. Is this track part of an overall project or a standalone single? What can we expect this song to be the start of?
This song is part of an overall project, which I think will resonate with a lot of people. Not to give too much away about the project but I will note that it is a very emotional, and heartfelt record – and definitely the most transparent music I’ve ever made. I feel like “Eyez” is the start of very real, honest – but fun, music from me. I feel like that’s necessary for my generation, [that authenticity] because a lot of us have been played by artists, role models, and leaders but still want the truth. We just want the real in everything.
5. Why should people listen to this song or your music in general?
People should listen to this song in particular if they want something they can nod their head to or cruise to in the car but still get substance and authenticity. It’s a song that you can dance and vibe to but also feel warmth and joy. It has a wholesome quality to it while still being in the context of the crazy world that we live in.
People should listen to my music if they want those qualities, that warmth, the consciousness, and the political commentary from the perspective of a young, Christian black man in America.
I don’t shy away from any of those things and I aim to be honest in my music but in a way that people can enjoy. I aim to make good music that’s sonically impressive, but that’s also relatable and still sheds light on issues in our country and in ourselves.
Listen to CZAR Josh Below:
Purchase or stream here.