The Meteoric Rise of Brent Faiyaz
From relative unknown to R&B underdog, the rapper turned singer Brent Faiyaz has everyone watching. Join us as we explore his career up until this point.
Brent Faiyaz first caught mainstream attention back in 2016 when rapper GoldLink enlisted him for his breakout single ‘Crew’ alongside Shy Glizzy. The song was certified x3 Platinum and was hailed one of the best tracks of 2016.
Despite Crew being GoldLink’s song, attention soon turned to Faiyaz who had the standout performance on the track.
Faiyaz’s first project was 2013’s ‘Black Child’ EP. The EP was uploaded to SoundCloud and amassed a healthy number of listeners. Musically, Black Child featured Faiyaz rapping instead of his signature R&B crooning he’s known for.
The EP’s production is similar to that of Bryson Tiller’s ‘TrapSoul’. Lyrically, Faiyaz rapped introspectively over soul samples and moody production.
Around 2015, Faiyaz ditched rapping in favour of singing. He released the singles ‘Allure’ and ‘Poison’ which helped carve out Faiyaz’s lane as a dark yet soulful R&B vocalist. Faiyaz has managed to avoid comparisons to his contemporaries like The Weeknd by keeping his lyrics and style unique to him.
Faiyaz and his Lost Kids collective often shoot their videos in an intentionally ammeter and grainy style. His videos as of late often feature trippy and colourful editing tricks that are not common in R&B. His visuals are more akin to a Playboi Carti fan-made video than a polished production.
His scatterbrained yet calculated approach to his art direction and visuals helps separate Brent from everything else on the current R&B landscape.
Sonically, Faiyaz is often varied in his approach. Songs like ‘Trust’ is a downtempo reflection on one’s purpose in life. This is contrasted by a track like ‘Clouded’ which is almost a synesthetic experience. Clouded is supported by a bright and psychedelic instrumental. On Clouded, Faiyaz recounts his rise to fame and his sexual encounters in a braggadocious manner.
Faiyaz released his second album ‘Fuck the World’ in February of this year. While initially teased as a mini-LP or a prelude to a larger project, the 30-minute ensemble was what R&B needed. The project was critically acclaimed and features an almost limitless amount of replay value.
Stream Brent Faiyaz on Spotify and Apple Music here.
