Sainté releases new EP 4L + new single ‘DSM’ ft. Wiz Khalifa

Today, Sainté – a cultural force leading the charge of British rap – releases his long-awaited new EP 4L via Coup D’Etat Recordings & Broke Records. Slick, effortless and supremely confident, the project announces an artist in full command of his powers. To celebrate its release, Sainté shares new track ‘DSM’ ft. his childhood hero Wiz Khalifa – a moment in an unfolding career where the Leicester rapper’s dreams become reality.

Sonically, 4L is a full-circle return to the influences which shaped Sainté’s early music – moody textures, slick eyes and luxurious, laid-back flowers. But the scope of its vision is distinctly future-facing. The drums hit harder and the depth is fathoms greater, drawing on jazz, broken beat and the revolution of alt-R&B making waves through the UK. Think of it as Sainté’s original palette – with some new, brilliant colours you’ve never seen before. The scale of his ambition has never been greater.

Speaking on his vision for 4L, Sainté shares: “This EP here is about movement. Growth. Both sonically and lyrically, I’m pushing past what felt comfortable. I didn’t want anything too clean or even predictable. There’s a beauty in contrast. I call it honest art. Don’t fake a thing. Let the mess show and let the confidence sit next to doubt. That balance is important. The flows are sharper, the production’s in a place where I can say a whole lot was put in, and there’s more to the pen. It’s still me, local MVP but the IOS has been updated  — less proving, more owning.”

The new track was written in a single night when Sainté finished up his New Zealand & Australia tour, with a sultry, summer-charged sound. He tells the story of the night that brought it to life: “Me and the mandem were feeling spontaneous and decided to cool off in Bali, because why not – and who would predict what would happen? Crashing out on a moped and still not ending my night there, I went on to record the same night. It was unique enough to get one of my childhood legends on a track, Wiz Khalifa, and the OG trusted the vision and naturally had to add a little seasoning to the dish before people heard it. “Rather than wait around I chose to boss up instead”… like he said. That’s what’s being done. It’s a 4L thing now, watch.”

The release is his first major release following his debut mixtape Still Local which dropped last year. Featuring collaborations with the likes of Potter Payper, Lil Silva and more, the mixtape marked Sainté pushing himself whilst refusing to depart from his ideals; whether that’s the commitment to his work ethic, harnessing of friends and family, or in navigating the positivity you deserve. And whilst music remains a love-letter to all things local – and all things Leicester – Sainté continues to bubble far beyond his neighbourhood; with over 300 million streams, campaigns for the likes of New Balance, Burberry and Jean Paul Gaultier, and famously catching his break whilst he was a semi-pro basketball player working in Nando’s.

If the video EP’s forerunner for ‘Dora’ crowned Sainté as lord of the manor, then ‘Days In The 3’ makes him king of the world. The Leicester-born rapper is living a life of hard-earned global luxury. Loading his matte black Lamborghini with bags from Chanel, riding jet skis, killing time at gun ranges and partying day and night at the poolhouse, it’s the reality of an artist who continues to live and exceed his wildest dreams. 4L draws on this international scope, shaped by the energies of LA, Bali and Soho and Camden in London: stillness, ambition and edge.

He’s angling for a summer to take him to even greater heights than the last, when he did his first walk for Paris Fashion Week, embarked on a world tour across Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Europe, and a merging of forces with Antslive on ‘V’.

Watch out for more to come this year from Sainté.