(AllHipHop Features) Last summer Malachiae Warren arrived on the R&B landscape with his Hip Hop influenced The Ride Out EP. Eight months later, Malachiae has returned with a new collection titled Heard U Was In My City.

[ALSO READ: #ATLRiseUp: Malachiae Warren’s “Ghetto Smooth” Sound Is Merging Atlanta’s Hip Hop & R&B Traditions]

“Heard U Was In My City is a special project to me simply because it’s the first body of work I’ve officially released on a major. The EP’s theme and title track is a real situation that I had with an ex-girlfriend of mine. I heard she was in my city, but she didn’t bother to hit me up,” Malachiae tells AllHipHop.com. “Of course my mind started racing, thinking that she was with another guy and not tripping on me anymore. It started to make me have second thoughts about how I treated her. I guess it’s art imitating life.”

Last year, Malachiae released his first official single, the Migos-assisted “Thank Yo Momma.” The Atlanta raised singer-songwriter calls the creative process for the song a learning experience, and the crooner believes he has matured a lot since writing the record back in 2013.

“I think that’s the main difference between ‘Thank Yo Momma’ and the songs on this project – growth and maturity. I’m in a different space, especially on records like ‘Minute Made’ and ‘Lie to Me,’” says Warren. “Those songs have a bit more edge and substance. I feel like I have a platform to really be myself and speak about the things I really want to speak about.”

Malachiae began taking music seriously around the age of 11. He eventually signed with the iconic Motown recording label and began building a fan base that currently includes a combined 233,000 followers on Twitter and Instagram.

“My fans are truly great and inspiring to me. For me to be so new at this and have fans that will drive hours to see me and wait hours to get a picture is crazy to me,” expresses the #ATLRiseUp alum. “All I can do is try to accommodate them and thank them every chance I get, because they have a choice of who they are going to support, and they have chosen to support me. That’s love.”

With The Ride Out EP and Heard U Was In My City already under his belt, Malachiae is looking to continue adding sultry cuts to his catalog. The goal is to eventually see his name among the top talent in the industry.

“Last year was my introduction, so this year I really want to cement myself in this game. I know that comes with hard work and great music. I’m prepared to deliver both,” Malachiae states. “I’m looking forward to touring this year, so I can see my fans face-to-face, and I’m working on my album, but there is no rush. Timing is everything, so I’m just gonna keep pushing and keep grinding.”