Blackalicious’ Gift of Gab and Wake Self Drop "Change the World"

New Mexico Hip-Hop staple Wake Self has teamed up with the illustrious Gift of Gab from the Oakland duo, Blackalicious. Together, they execute one of his most important songs yet, “Change the World.”

Produced by SmokeM2D6 of Oldominion, “Change the World” was a dream collaboration for the budding emcee. While on tour with Gab in 2014, the two talked about doing a track together. One particular night after a show in Durango, Colo., a fan asked, “When is a Wake Self and Gift of Gab song coming out?” The timing was finally right.

“This was actually the first beat I sent Gab from Smoke and he immediately said he wanted to use it,” Wake explains. “He actually did his verse first and I heard it and bounced of the content he had put together. It’s always a blessing when you can rock a track with artists who’ve inspired you over the years.”

The track takes aim at several culture trends in society that Wake believes are damaging for our souls, including social media, vapid entertainment, celebrity worship, and other things that distract us from truly living our lives.

In addition to the unveiling of “Change the World,” Wake has also announced his sophomore album, Malala, which is due out August 24, 2016, Wake’s mother’s birthday.

“My main focus with music is to share my ideas with the world, to bring awareness, help heal and inspire people with music, and make my mom proud,” he says.

Wake has been working on Malala for the past two years and it’s an album he’s proud to share with the world.

“I love this album,” he says. “The journey up to this point has been amazing. I really feel like making this album has already changed my life. I healed and found myself again.”