Singer and songwriter Jesse Boykins III and producer/MC Melo-X have released ‘Black Orpheus‘, a new single produced by Afta-1.  The effort is an innovative and hopeful precursor to their first full-length collaboration album Zulu Guru which is due out on October 15th.  With this new single, the two artists take a highly elevated step towards defining a new sound in Hip Hop and R&B by infusing traditional soul with elements of Afro-Beat, West Indian music and Electronic Soul.  The lasting result is one that has us keen to hear more from this highly artful and refreshing pairing of talent.

Download from Ninjatune.net here, or stream below to check out ‘Black Orpheus‘:

“The history of the ZuLu is one rich with stories of royalty, valor and the warrior spirit. In an age of creative freedom through the use of social networks, we have become warriors of free expression. Never bound by the shackles of genre, we travel and shift through musical landscapes, breaking down barriers in the process. Our approach to music is similar to that of the spirited tribal warrior; conquering new land as we travel the world winning wars through romance. As we venture into a new level in our careers, we continue to embody the Zulu warrior spirit while elaborating on the romantic qualities in everyday life.

The greatest minds are the ones that connect wholeheartedly with their artistic visions and do all they can to make it reality. The Guru in us all simply craves evolution and tranquility which comes with experience, which is simply the process in which we become more and more true to ourselves: being able to acknowledge our flaws and mistakes and wrongdoings and grow for the better.

In this music there is honesty; pure understanding or putting forth the effort to understand the emotions that make us do what we do. We write to express and highlight things within ourselves and our culture that we feel hold some sort of significance, good or bad. We deeply connect with the many cultures of the world, traveling and over-involving ourselves with awareness. This music we bring to you is a sonic form of connection, a humbling form of passion, and the advancement of art in form of romance.”

– Jesse Boykins III & MeLo-X