Los Angeles native Haseeb has been working on music for longer than some of his fans have been alive; the 18-year veteran has entered a self-reflective mindstate on his latest single “Portraits”, which is set to be featured on his upcoming album Few Years Later. “Portraits” is one of the first songs Haseeb made after getting married, and he says that the major life stepping stone inspired him to reflect back on what he’s experienced in those three decades.
“That major moment in my life allowed me to reflect back on where I’ve been, what I’ve experienced, and ultimately who I am,” said Haseeb. “There’s something about a portrait that allows the viewer to look in the eyes of a subject and connect at a human level.”
Sonically, “Portraits” features bouncy drums over moody keys that were all programmed by Haseeb himself. He enlisted Cory Williams to help record, mix and master the track and the crazy visual was directed, shot and edited by frequent collaborator and friend DukeVisions. It takes a “deep dive” into his family photo album and includes what Haseeb calls “archival footage of me when I was a kid”.
If you think Haseeb is messing around with his music, think again. The man has garnered over five million all-time Spotify streams and 200,000 all-time Apple Music streams. If that’s not enough, he’s embarked on a successful solo US tour and toured with Kota the Friend in Europe. If that’s still not enough, Haseeb has opened for legendary rappers such as Lupe Fiasco, Ghostface Killa, Method Man & Redman, and Freddie Gibbs, to name a few.
It’s been over four years since Haseeb’s last album Growth, but that doesn’t mean he’s missed a beat. In fact, it means that this album is perfect in Haseeb’s eyes, and it’s scheduled to be released in May or June. He’s achieved a lot of growth in the the last five or so years, and with the way he’s working, is set to grow even more as time goes on.