North Carolina MC Rapsody is back with a brand new song. It features D’Angelo and GZA, and it’s produced by 9th Wonder. “IBTIHAJ” is the first offering from Rapsody’s forthcoming album EVE, which is out August 23, and it arrives with a vibrant music video directed by Jay Scorsese. The track samples RZA’s beat for GZA’s iconic “Liquid Swords.” It also finds D’Angelo singing lyrics from “Liquid Swords.”
“IBTIHAJ” pays tribute to Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first American Muslim woman to wear a hijab while competing for the United States at the Olympics. She was a part of the women’s saber team that won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Scorsese’s visual features several women donning the traditional head covering, as well as fencing sequences. It also includes cameos from Roxanne Shanté and Mary J. Blige. Check it out below.
EVE marks Rapsody’s third studio album, following 2017’s Laila’s Wisdom, which got nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2018 Grammys. According to Essence, EVE features songs named after legendary black women, including Nina Simone, Oprah Winfrey, Aaliyah, and Whoopi Goldberg. In addition, a track named after the Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut will reportedly feature Queen Latifah.
“The stories behind the songs on EVE are inspiring, and I wanted to do my part in celebrating these women in the best way I know how,” Rapsody said in a statement. “I want to not only help tell these stories but help further each woman’s legacy and spark curiosity in people to learn more about them.”
