Peckham songwriter, rapper and producer Moriah Mensah will release her debut mixtape MENSAH on September 11 via Black Butter Records.
New single Magazines introduces the project through exaggerated confidence, celebrity fantasy and the performance of artistic ego.
Hyperpop-edged production, sharp rap delivery and pop immediacy give the track its rush, while the writing knowingly embraces fame’s most superficial impulses. Moriah explains:
The song is about entering stardom. I enjoy writing songs that explore the ego of an artist – it feels very meta to me. I want people to feel like they rule the world when they listen to it. The song is lyrically ostentatious and unapologetically superficial, and I want every listener to just revel in that. I love music that makes me feel like I’m a superstar, so I’m happy I’ve been able to create that for other people.
Written within minutes while executive co-producer Jag Brill developed the beat, Magazines captures the speed and instinct behind Moriah’s early work. Its artwork continues that approach through bold typography designed to feel immediately recognisable.
The wider mixtape was co-produced by Moriah and Jag Brill, moving between hip-hop, alternative electronics, R&B, pop and internet-shaped experimentation. Previous singles Hero and Old Gs At Millbrook established both sides of that range: self-produced ambition on one, atmospheric reflections on Peckham on the other. She says:
The intention behind this mixtape is to introduce the range of sonics that will be present in future projects. I want the listening experience to have back to back surprises. Moriah Mensah’ as an artist project is genre agnostic. There is no facet of sound that will go unexplored over the next years.
Raised on Peckham’s Friary Estate, the 19-year-old artist draws from hip-hop, punk attitude, electronic music and visual world-building, with influences ranging from Tierra Whack and Remy Ma to Prince, Lady Gaga and AlunaGeorge.
Moriah is not arriving with one fixed sound. She is testing how many versions of herself can occupy the same project. Fame fantasy, local memory, digital excess and all.
MENSAH Tracklist
- Old Gs At Millbrook
- Magazines
- So Entitled
- Girls Night Out
- Hero
- From A Distance
- Issues
- Leyton
- All Velve