Bbyafricka and SURF GANG Link Up in EP HARD COPY
This is the iconic collaboration we didn’t know we needed.
Cover by Francisco Russo
Inglewood musician Bbyafricka teamed up with NYC’s super-producer group SURF GANG for a new collaborative EP, HARD COPY, which is out now via Surf Gang Records. The four-track project, exclusively produced by SURF GANG headmaster evilgiane — blends Bbyafricka’s melodic, free-flowing bar work with the group’s idyllic soundscapes, culminating in an electric collaboration that provides a promising glimpse into the future of experimental rap.
Well-known for her poetic wordplay and an eclectic sonic blend of emo, R&B, and indie rock, Bbyafricka initially burst onto the scene in 2018 with her debut project Brain Damage, produced by fish narc (Juice WRLD, Lil Peep) and Nedarb (Lil Peep, $UICIDEBOYS, Xavier Wulf) – and the single “Downtown and Cigarettes,” before making waves with viral Saweetie link-up “Baby Mama Coochie” racking up over four million streams and her 2021 collaboration with Lil Yachty on “Dead To Me.” She has been steadily increasing her loyal fan base, reaching into the dance world with her EDM track “Biggest Regret,” released earlier this year.
evilgiane is a fixture in the New York music scene and beyond – whose influence, presence, and ethereal production style are notable in today’s mainstream hip-hop. The SURF GANG founder has regularly created his own ‘melancholic yet menacing sound’ through his production, blending a unique combination of sounds from subgenres like drill, footwork, trance, and trap. 2023 served as a breakthrough year for evilgiane with a 2024 GRAMMY “Best Rap Performance” nomination and production credits for his work on Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem’s “The Hillbillies,” as well as Earl Sweatshirt’s “Making the Band (Danity Kane)” – testaments to his growing popularity and influence. The former two add to the ever-increasing list of production credits for many of the modern greats, including Playboi Carti, A$AP Rocky, Bktherula, Veeze, Maxo Kream, Babyxsosa, RealYungPhil, and BlackKray.
Featured as a producer on PinkPantheress’ to hell with it (Remixes) compilation, evilgiane modified her track “Reason” into a stuttering, blissful rendition. From his latest live dates with DJ Kenn, Sky Ferreira, Vegyn, and Snow Strippers, project collaborations with 454, Matt Ox, Serane, and John Glacier, a self-titled ambient tape, to the recent releases of “BASIC” featuring Anycia & Robb Bank$ and “40” with Xavierobased & Nettspend – all go a long way in illuminating evilgiane’s glimpse into his collaborative, boundary-pushing sonics highlighted by his most recent mixtapes #HEAVENSGATE VOL. 1 and EVILSLIME with Slimesito.
Following up on each of their releases, namely, The Rapture and JACK & THE BEANSTALK – a joint project with Massachusetts singer LUCY (Cooper B. Handy) – in January and June this year, respectively, Bbyafricka and SURF GANG join forces in new collab tape HARD COPY for a “kinetic, genre-bending outing – and a refreshing preview of the next generation’s DIY rap counterculture.”
