It’s pretty evident Montreal-via-Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec rapper Zach Zoya is ready to take the rest of Canada by storm, because why else would he call his new blistering summer anthem “Slurpee” instead of naming the frozen treat by its more localized Quebec moniker, slush? (Or if you’re aligned with genericized Couche-Tard branding: sloche.)
In the midst of a successful run as a rare English-language rapper on venerable Quebec rap label 7ième Ciel, which includes airtight collaborative EP Misstape with Laval producer High Klassified, the Neo Maestro-produced “Slurpee” is Zoya’s first single for Universal Music Canada outside of his home province.
If his raw, talent-showcasing DAYZZ OFF video series served to bring pure bars so fast it’ll make your brain freeze, “Slurpee” is all euphoric sugar rush: a rapid fire procession of repeatable hooks centered on the summertime elixir of slurpee with a whole lot of vodka. True to his previous works, Zoya crams a lot of lyricism into a short runtime, leaving both the rapper and listeners to come up for air by the two-minute mark.
Like a lot of catchy singles that burrow into your skull and never escape, Zoya explained his latest was born in a Montreal studio on a sweltering summer day through happenstance more than science.
“The idea behind Slurpee at first was a mosh pit song. It really was a spur of the moment type thing which explains the unconventional structure. I went in and we probably finished it within 40 min. I wanted it to feel raw and direct,” Zoya said.
In a statement, he described the song as: “a firework. It’s colorful, it’s loud.”
The video, directed by fellow Montrealer Le GED, is a similarly wild ride set in an auto shop, but after a few spiked slurpees, who doesn’t start to see smoke blowing from shaking posteriors?
It’s the first cut off an upcoming Spectrum EP, supposedly the first of multiple releases already completed following a two-year studio binge. And if “Slurpee” is any indication, Canadian rap fans are going to want to hear more from this rising star.
“I am hoping for 'Slurpee' to get attention outside of Québec for sure,” Zoya said. “That’s always the goal for me—to reach further and further.”
