Stream Wara from the NBHD’s New Project

Wara from the NBHD's project If Guns Could Speak PSA drops today. The 25-year-old rapper enlists the help of Tunji Ige, Conner Youngblood and Relläjämü. The Atlanta-based MC has seen his fanbase grow for a while now and his latest body of work dives into the black experience in America. Off the free album, Wara has already released the video for "Bubblin" and the tracks "On God" plus the Conner Youngblood-assisted single "Down Since Birth." If the cover art for If Guns Could Speak PSA—a gun pointed at the rapper's head behind a shredded American flag—doesn't catch grab your attention, the music will. Listen to the project above. 

We spoke to Wara from the NBHD about the inspiration behind his new project and gun violence.

XXL: What is the inspiration behind If Guns Could Speak PSA.
Wara from the NBHD: My neighborhood, the way it feels, and the way it sounds to me. My perspective on how I think people in America or on the outside looking in view us in these black communities that aren't from here and most definitely the energy that rock music brings. I try my best to incorporate that and really fuse this hip-hop shit with it because that's the music that I love over anything. I relate to it.

Was there a difficult moment when you were making the project? Why?
The only problem I had [when] making this project was trying to figure out how to organically make it cohesive because not one song on sounds the same. They're their own entire things in a sense and sometimes that's not necessarily a good thing because all the people that are just now tuning into my music might be looking for a certain direction. But that's the point, there is no direction, there are no rules with this shit. All that matters to me is that I make shit sonically that's performable and uncomfortable. The message speaks for itself.

It appears that gun violence is something very important to you. What's your stance on gun laws and carrying firearm?
Well for one I'm pretty sure we all know the gun laws in America is the most fucked up situation there is right now. Guns are easier to get here than a pair of Jordan's, it's nothing new. Especially when you got mass shootings on a daily basis and the news is saying shit like "just another day in America." That shit isn't cool. I try to tell a lot of my homies all the time that guns don't bring shit in your life but negativity because that's all it did for me. How you expect any of these kids to listen or take it serious if it's being glorified in every sense everywhere they turn. As far as I'm concerned, America wants the gun violence, the government wants us to kill each other; them muthafuckas enabling it. I see nothing wrong with protecting your home, your family, but overall they too accessible

What can fans expect for 2016?
A tour, studio album and me stunting on my haters with a big smile on my face.