Mustafa has set a spring release date for his debut project When Smoke Rises. The Toronto singer/songwriter will drop the eight-track record on May 28 via his Regent Park Songs imprint.
When Smoke Rises is one of the most anticipated local releases of the year, marking the Regent Park-raised artist’s long-awaited debut and the culmination of a six-year process that saw him transition from poetry to music.
He has also released a new video for the song Ali, which is about his late friend Ali Rizeig, aka NSK (North Side King). In an interview with NOW last fall, Mustafa described Rizeig as a sensitive soul who always kept alive the memories of other friends who had died.
“It was so important for me to write a song for Ali because he wouldn’t let us forget anyone we lost,” Mustafa told NOW. “He would say we don’t talk about Santana enough or Yusuf enough. It’s important for us to remember the way that they took them from us.”
Mustafa has previously released videos for the singles Air Forces and Stay Alive.
Check out his self-directed video for Ali, as well as the When Smoke Rises track list and cover art, below.
When Smoke Rises:
1. Stay Alive
2. Air Forces
3. Separate
4. The Hearse
5. Capo [ft. Sampha]
6. Ali
7. What About Heaven
8. Come Back
