Buzzing California rapper ZayBang celebrates his birthday today with the announcement that his album, Play For Keeps, which released March 11th via EMPIRE. The announcement was accompanied by the release of a new single, “Unnoticed,” which features fellow San Francisco native Lil Yee. The video for “Unnoticed” is directed by Imxsebastian and features the two artists trading verses about street consequences and personal struggles.

ZayBang is one of the most visible artists in the new generation that are shaping the sound of West Coast hip-hop. Gravelly-voiced, confrontational and armed with words that carry significant weight, the San Francisco native has risen to the forefront of The Bay Area music scene after his single “No Relations” and self-released 2019 mixtape, Caught Up in the Crossfire, gained an organic buzz within the city. ZayBang’s music caught the attention of respected local blog, Thizzler On The Roof, who offered to host his subsequent releases on their YouTube channel. Those videos include “Sleep Talkin,” “In That Rain” and “Private Property,” which all have gone on to generate millions of views. This momentum has continued throughout the pandemic, with ZayBang releasing two well-received solo projects, Point Guard and The Streets Blame Me. The latter was named by SPIN as “one of the best from the Bay Area in recent memory” and Pitchfork spotlighted the single, “Can’t Lose,” as their “must-hear rap song of the day.” Grammy-winning, multi-platinum producer, Zaytoven, even tapped ZayBang for his mixtape, Zaytoven Presents: Fo15, which is a collaborative project highlighting the Bay’s hottest artists.

At 26 years old, ZayBang had a late start to his music career after spending much of his early life behind bars but this has only made him work harder as he’s determined to succeed despite having the odds stacked against him. “He represents the attitude and confidence so necessary when you come from a rough place,” wrote Passion of the Weiss, and ZayBang hopes this fortitude will inspire others to keep their head high even if they are backed against a wall. Throughout ZayBang’s recent rise, childhood friend Lil Bean has remained close. The duo have found success together, releasing songs like “Swervin,” “Involve Wit Us” and “4 The Night,” as well as their full-length collaborative album, The Label. ZayBang and Lil Bean are always pushing each other to be greater and this brotherly bond was obvious in their interview on the popular podcast, No Jumper, and when they co-headlined recent sold-out performances. ZayBang is currently preparing the release of his first full-length solo project since signing with EMPIRE which is set to release this spring.