Is there currently any collab more buzz-worthy than the award-winning pairing of AzizTheShake and Van Buren Records? The Nashua-gone-Los Angeles artist bursts into the new year with a “2-pack” of singles today (January 4), again recruiting members of the Brockton rap collective to lend his beats some extra bounce. “Image of God” centers around the conviction in Aziz’s and Luke Bar$’s brash verses, while Aziz joins Jiles and Meech BOLD for some bars on “Toledo.”
The double shot follows AzizTheShake’s success at the 2021 Boston Music Awards last month, where he nabbed the titles “Producer of the Year” and “Video of the Year” for his “CULT” visual with Van Buren Records. Two albums he worked on — BIA’s For Certain and VB’s EP BLACK WALL STREET — also took home hardware at the ceremony.
But Aziz won’t allow himself to perceived as “just” a producer who’s content to keep his work behind the console; instead, he’s shaking up his image in 2022 to reemphasize the full breath of his skillset. After all, before For Certain and BLACK WALL STREET, there was Two Dollar Movies, Aziz’s solo rap record from just three years ago.
“[With] ‘Toledo,’ I just wanted to remind people I really do this,” Aziz tells Vanyaland. “I was an artist/writer first, but with my production coming up, people now often know me for only that. I want to remind people, or introduce people to AzizTheShake, the artist.”
“Image of God,” on the other hand, is Aziz’s reminder for himself: “The song came about from just feeling under-appreciated in many relationships and dynamics. It’s also about having faith, in a higher power, in yourself. If you keep working when things seem impossible, you will likely be rewarded.”
Tap into both new tracks below, then check out the Van-Buren-Records-packed visual for “Toledo.”
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