What do Haiti, and Danbury, Connecticut have in common? Well on the surface, not a lot. But dig deeper and you’ll see both are affected by racism, inequality, and injustice. Still based in Connecticut, rapper OBAS spent part of his childhood in Haiti, and his teen years in Danbury, and in his new single, ‘Hug The Streets’, featuring Rick Ross, he talks about his experiences, and draws parallels between what at first glance would seem to be two places poles apart.
Drawing from his personal story, OBAS outlines the poverty, random violence, and desperation of Haiti, and the indifference, systematic oppression, and casual cruelty of the Danbury. He shares the struggle he had to rise above the challenges of the streets, to avoid the dangerous characters, lure of easy money, and the thrill of the hustle. He also focuses on the people who are doing the right thing, despite the circumstances, and their rare beauty; in contrast to the sadly, more common experience of those who allow their demons to take over them.
‘Hug The Streets’ will of course already be familiar to OBASs many fans, as he premiered the original version of the track in the summer, and the accompanying video for it has had views in the tens of thousands so far. Rather than the frosty streets of a Northern city in the original clip, the remix sees him meet up with Rick Ross in Miami, after dark. Check out the cars in the clip as well, along with the grittiness and overall intensity of the pair’s performances.
Find out more about OBAS and his music online on his official website.
