Take A Slow Ride With Sabatahj’s “Old Skoo”
“You’re the kind of girl that’s been heavy on my mind.”
The innovative '80s work of Zapp keeps reentering the popular consciousness. In the '90s, you heard it all over west coast rap records from Dr. Dre and Tupac; more recently, it seeped into 100s' Ivry, the Midas Hutch remix of Dej Loaf's "Try Me," and the occasional YG track.
Sabatahj—a multi-instrumentalist, producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter from New Albany, Indiana—is the latest heir to this tradition. He retools '80s talkbox funk for the present with modern drum programming and a slowed-down vocal snippet that nods to Houston rap. Sabatahj's own voice floats lightly over it all, unfurling a series of come-ons: You're the kind of girl that's been heavy on my mind/ I been all around the world, but have yet to ever find.
"'Old Skoo,' is a slow-ride, retro-futuristic tale about a man trying to convince his female friend into taking a joyride," Sabatahj tells FADER via email. "With soothing talkbox melodies and sensual southern finesse, 'Old Skoo' mixes '90s R&B smooth with '80s grooves."
Listen below.