Amir Obè is back in action. Today (Aug. 24), the Def Jam signee delivers Can't Be A__Here: Chapter 1 EP, his first project since his 2017 effort, None of the Clocks Work.

This release marks the first part of Obè's Can't Be A__Here series, which the rapper has indicated will include three chapters.

Preceded by his Nylz-produced track, "Holy Shit,"  Can't Be A__Here: Chapter 1 features a sizable dose of melodic flows and reflection from Obè. "Holy Shit" finds Obè in flex mode, while the atmospheric "Rehab" is a somber affair as he examines his own inner and outer turmoil.

As a whole, the brief but dense project is another example of Obè's thematic and stylistic range. Speaking with XXL for The Break two years ago, he explained the way the music he listened to as a kid influenced his approach to music.

"I grew up listening to a lot. Actually my mom is Polish, she is White and my dad is Black," he said at the time. "So, I grew up on like Bee Gees from my mom’s side and disco, Abba. My dad was soulful, listened to Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder. Stuff like that. And I was like a big Michael Jackson fan when I was a kid. I think everyone was.

Obè was inspired by genre-defying greats from the 2000s. "I think I grew up on the Kanye-Pharrell era. I just like their style, musically and visually," he said, continuing to offer insight into his influences. "Kanye was dope on the production. That’s what I was probably inspired by as a kid."

Listen to Amir Obè's Can't Be A__Here: Chapter 1 EP below.

Amir Obè's Can't Be A__Here: Chapter 1 Tracklist

1. "Masquerade"
2. "Don't Belong Here"
3. "Welcome To Rehab"
4. "Holy Shit"

Def Jam
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