KUALA LUMPUR, 20th AUGUST 2021 – The local hip hop scene continues to thrive as three of the Malaysia’s rising hip hop stars under Def Jam Malaysia Yonnyboii, ZynAkal and ASYRAF NASIR join forces in conjuring a spectacular track called ‘TAK SANGKA’.
Composed and written by the three friends themselves, ‘TAK SANGKA’ which also translates to ‘unexpected’ (in Malay) sees the participation of SeaTravel as co-producer and arranger alongside Yonnyboii himself.
The track depicts the unexpected feeling of realizing their dreams particularly in music and refers to the process of chasing their ambitions without any doubts. This also leads to the unexpected comments from naysayers who didn’t believe in them before and are now acknowledging their gifts and success.
“I think this is an interesting song and I have never done anything like this before. The lyrics were written based on today’s society who are somewhat fake and pretentious which I expressed in the track. I hope music lovers will be able to embrace this concept and accept our debut collaboration,” said ZynAkal.
Sharing similar thoughts is Zyn’s fellow partner in crime ASYRAF NASIR.
“The song is fresh and truly in-your-face. Dashed with our uniquely fortified characters, it creates this special sense of excitement urging you to jump as high as you can with an inexplicable adrenaline rush. It is a statement song so if anyone wants to express themselves this is the track,” adds Asyraf.
“At first we were just toying with the idea of coming out with a K-pop inspired track but Zyn’s opening and Asyraf’s idea development, along with my involvement led to the creation of an all-new and truly unexpected ‘TAK SANGKA’. Working with both of them was amazing and we hope the song will reach a million views on Youtube,” cited Yonnyboii about the ground-breaking project by Def Jam Malaysia.
Produced last year, the track came into being when ZynAkal started the verse and set the tone of the song. His spontaneous lyrics which depicted the authenticity of his story was then further developed with a chorus by Yonnyboii. It was then complemented with Asyraf’s part which was recorded at first take. The whole writing to recording process took approximately five hours in total.
Like all of Def Jam Malaysia’s products, TAK SANGKA also features an animation-concept music video, aptly produced considering the world’s current situation. It features the animated characters of the three stars and is directed by Thaqif Saadon with assistance from Hakeem Roshdi. Produced by Atypical Visual and Studio Firepulse under the art direction of Imran Mansur, it also sees the participation of Sabrina Sofiadin as graphic designer.
“What sets the video apart is that we were allowed to do more experimenting within the music video realm itself. This is because the executed shots could only be captured in 3D and 2D animation. In fact, it took us three months to complete the whole video. Furthermore, my assistant director, art director, and our set dresser Amirul Najihan had to begin by understanding the characters and personalities of every artiste in the song. Their amicable relationship also plays a big role in the storyline. And our priority is to produce something fresh and yet still experimental.”
“Interestingly, all of us worked fully online with every single crew member and artiste involved. This included the part where we had to get reference footages from Yonny, Asyraf, and Zyn to create and mimic their facial expressions, lip syncing as well as their original acting excerpts. All communication had to be done via Discord and WhatsApp calls. Several acting scenes and camera movements were limited via video calls but they still managed to give us the energy and character play perfectly,” explained Thaqif Saadon who directed the video.
TAK SANGKA can be streamed on all digital platforms starting August 20th 2021 beginning 12am while the official music video will be made available for public viewing on the same date from 10pm onwards.
ABOUT DEF JAM RECORDINGS SOUTH EAST ASIA
Since its game-changing launch, Def Jam SEA has already paid its dues several times over, flexing its musical chops at high-profile showcases such as 2019’s Culture Cartel convention in Singapore, and helping to usher in global sports retailer JD Sport’s entry into the Thai market during the brand’s massive launch party in Bangkok.
With hip-hop’s influence spanning the globe, it was only a matter of time before Def Jam slung its brand of dope directly in South East Asia, arguably the most excitingly fresh frontline for new, boundary-pushing music. The label has also been busy bringing in more stellar talent from across the region into its fold, adding Abubakarxli of Malaysia, Indonesia’s Ben Utomo and Rayi Putra, and welcoming Vietnam and the Philippines to the family, represented by the likes of Seachains and VVS Collective, respectively.
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