One of Hip-Hop’s brightest minds will return to the game with new material, as rapper Ahmad has inked a deal with Syntax Records to release new material and launch a new label, WE C.L.A.P.
Ahmad, 32, is best remembered for his 1994 hit “Back in the Day,” as well as his work with 4th Avenue Jones.
He stepped away from the rap game over the past two years, after he enrolled in Long Beach City College, maintained a 4.0 grade average and graduated valedictorian of his class this past May.
Ahmad was accepted as transfer student at Stanford, where he is currently studying for a double major in sociology and African-American studies.
The first release under the new deal with Syntax Records will be Ahmad’s album The Death of Me, which will chronicle his attempts to rise about the “trappings of Hip-Hop fame” and his new life as a student.
“The Death of Me is a return to the kind of Hip-Hop music that we all love: dope beats and well-crafted lyrics,” Ahmad told AllHipHop.com in a statement. “The title has to do with death being something we should all appreciate. In order to die, something must have lived. So, we celebrate the life lived, and we view death as an opportunity to transition into a new phase of life. I experienced the death, or ending, of several relationships during the last couple of years; however, as a student at Stanford University and with this new album on the way, I have never been as excited or encouraged about the future.”
The album is Ahmad’s second solo release, the follow up to the South Central Los Angeles native’s self-titled debut album, which was released in 1994.
Syntax founders Tim and Steve Trudeau were excited about releasing Ahmad’s first solo album in over 15 years.
They are also excited about the possibilities with Ahmad’s label WE C.L.A.P., which stands for “We Change Lives, Attitudes & Perceptions.
The three have known each other since a collaboration with the San Diego based label in 1999.
“We are proud to be working with Ahmad,” said Syntax Records President Tim Trudeau. “We’ve been fans since the beginning. Now, 15 years later, we’re proud to say that Ahmad can call Syntax his family…It hit a certain point where we both realized that it would make sense to work together on a professional level. Mutual respect is an extremely powerful business tool. With our rapid growth and Ahmad’s work ethic we believe we are at a pivotal moment to thrust him back into the forefront of listener-ship.”
Ahmad’s The Death of Me is due in stores this year.