Compton’s Wallie The Sensei caps off his electrifying year with the uplifting Here 2 Stay mixtape to celebrate his birthday by gifting his fans with fourteen tracks. Listen HERE via Capitol Records. Here 2 Stay includes the inspiring “Life Is What You Make It,” the dream-chasing “Brand New Coupe,” the Yxng KA-assisted “Damage,” as well as recent hit singles “Homi” and “Ghetto Lullaby.”
Wallie’s heartfelt delivery and introspective lyricism are the backbones of Here 2 Stay. On the anthemic “Life Is What You Make It,” the Compton rapper reflects on the pain of personal tragedy amid career success. “Feel like I’m beefin’ with God ‘cause he done took all my friends,” he croons over soulful piano chords and slow-rolling percussion. Still, even through loss, he finds a way to keep moving forward: “And when it ain’t making sense just know you still got to strive, I know we dying to live.” For Wallie, these trials and tribulations provide even more reason to continue sharing his story.
Throughout the mixtape, Wallie teams up with Saviii3rd on the meditative “Where I’m From,” Yxng KA on the hard-hitting “Damage,” Mari Ruger on the defiant “Still Thuggin,” Earl Swavey and Melly on the treacherous “Fake Love,” Jehkai on the mournful “Ghetto Lullaby,” and Siete7x on the catchy “Can’t Leave.” It’s a multi-layered, cohesive body of work that showcases both the rapper’s impressive skill and humanity. The artwork itself is deeply personal for Wallie as it’s him as a child.
Here 2 Stay builds on the momentum of “Damage” and the April release of “Homi.” The mixtape follows Wallie’s GOLDEN CHILD, a project spearheaded by “03 Flow.” A true labor of love, “03 Flow” is a tribute to fellow rapper 03 Greedo. It soon took on a life of its own with radio support, streaming success, and glowing praise from music peers such as the late PnB Rock.
With the release of Here 2 Stay, Wallie ends the year on a high note, adding another chapter to his impressive catalog and giving fans more to look forward to in 2023.