Apple Music’s Rap Life Africa playlist will feature tg.blk this month, following the release of her long-awaited new EP, Besides You. The six-part project is a dive into sensuality, soaked in the sunshine of her coastal hometown of Mombasa, and marks an elevation of the sound she has been developing since her landmark 2024 EP IT’S NOT THAT DEEP, which earned streams in the tens of millions.
Besides You is the first in a trilogy of EPs that will dissect the arc of a relationship, from the moments we obsessively replay in our minds to those we would rather forget. This first chapter captures the flush of new love, the head-over-heels obsession where all the red flags look green. The EP arrives alongside the single “Squeeze Me?”, which captures the thrill and fear of a new crush.
The project includes the dreamy, jazz-inflected “Clutch My Bag”, which conjures the pastel hues of Tyler, The Creator and Flower in Bloom, while “Stop It” is a confident declaration aimed at keyboard warriors. “So Bad”, meanwhile, is the track that kicked off the project, setting the tone with its swooning, sexy, and playful energy.
This month, Rap Life Africa will also spotlight Sammie Heavens and Nasty C’s “TELL DAT TO DA OPS”, a playful collaboration that blends modern trap elements with playful harmonies and lyrics. The track embraces a tone of self-belief and confidence, touching on the inner swagger that comes with understanding yourself and moving through the world with conviction.
Also featured is Loatinover Pounds’ “My Life”, from his latest project Ground 2 Glory. The track forms part of a new chapter for the Pretoria hip-hop heavyweight following the impact of his acclaimed album Pray 4 Pitori. With Ground 2 Glory, Loatinover Pounds turns his attention to what comes after the struggle, exploring ambition, success, responsibility and moving from survival to achievement.
Spotlight On
For tg.blk, music has always been rooted in community, from making songs with friends in high school to seeking out like-minded collaborators online. Her influences have expanded from the 80s R&B and Funk she was raised on to the beat-making alchemy of Timbaland and boom-bap. Working independently with little more than Logic and a microphone in her bedroom, she has developed a distinctive sound and built a growing cult following.
First To Know
At the centre of Besides you is tg.blk’s fascination with love in its most intoxicating early stages. “I’m always putting a bunch of pressure on myself to be something bigger than I am. I love love, and it’s all I want to talk about at the moment,” she says. “The EP to me feels like the beginning of most of my relationships. It’s exciting, sexy, fun and obsessive. All I want to be is besides you.” Speaking on being selected for Rap Life Africa, tg.blk tells Apple Music, “It feels great to be chosen and I’m so proud of myself. I do sing a lot now but rap is where I started so it’s really nice to stay connected to that part of myself.”
Press Play
Rap Life Africa serves as a companion to Apple Music’s flagship Hip-Hop playlist, Rap Life.
