Lil Zay Osama is locked up, but he’s still making moves, dropping his new track “Nameless” straight from behind bars on June 3 as a birthday gift to the fans who’ve been riding with him.
The Chicago rapper turned 29 today while facing federal charges that could put him away for life, and he still found a way to deliver music to the streets on his special day.
Zay told AllHipHop exclusively what the song is about and why he chose to release it on his birthday. “The song Nameless is one of those ones — it’s just about coming up in my environment, doing what we do, how we do it fr,” he said. “I’m going back to my roots and sound of the original Zay that the fans and the trenches love.”
He described the record as that fast-tempo melodic sound that puts his pain on full display, the version of himself his core fanbase has been calling for.
The timing carries extra weight when you know what he’s dealing with on the legal front. Zay has been no stranger to federal courtrooms, and his current situation is the most serious yet.
Five co-defendants were charged alongside him, and he has entered a not guilty plea while awaiting trial. The charges carry a potential life sentence.
As for the birthday drop, Zay made it clear why he flipped the script on the whole concept of birthdays.
“I dropped it on my birthday because I want them to know I’m a giving person,” he said. “So instead of the fans giving me a gift on my birthday, I gave them one.”
That’s the kind of energy his supporters have been holding onto while his legal troubles have continued to mount.