Chicago’s rising star, Lil Zay Osama released the video for the emotive new track “Needed Me” starring St. Louis singer-songwriter, Luh Kel. The Triptych Visuals-directed video shows an iced-out Zay flexing his melodic prowess and speaking on love lost, while his beau falls for someone else. “Needed You” is featured on Lil Zay Osama’s recently released project Trench Baby 2 (via Warner Records) available everywhere now, watch the video above.
In addition, Zay is currently on a 12-date run supporting G Herbo’s 25 Tour (full list of dates listed below).
In February of this year, Lil Zay Osama released his acclaimed mixtape Trench Baby as well as the follow-up deluxe edition, which included an array of street hits from “Rumors,” “Ride for Me” (with Jackboy)” to fan-anthems “61st to 64th,” and “We’ll Be Straight.” A gifted storyteller and melodic virtuoso, Lil Zay Osama is able to maneuver between different moods from drill to trap ballads, earning him the praise of XXL, Pitchfork, HipHopDX, Complex and more. To date, Lil Zay Osama has accumulated more than 200 million streams. WithTrench Baby 2, he’s poised to continue his trajectory to superstardom.
TOUR DATES:
November 20 – Washington, D.C. – Fillmore
November 22 – Clevland, OH – House Of Blues
November 24 – Chicago, IL – The Riviera
November 27 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
November 30 – Little Rock, AR – Little Rock Music Hall
December 1 – Birmingham, AL – Iron City
December 4 – Elizabeth, NJ – Ritz Theatre
December 5 – Boston, MA – Big Night Live
December 17 San Francisco, CA – August Hall
December 19 – San Diego, CA – House Of Blue
December 20 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
ABOUT LIL ZAY OSAMA:
Lil Zay Osama makes “pain music.” That’s what the South Side native calls his combination of raw, gripping lyrics and a passionate delivery. One of Chicago’s most captivating young voices, the 23-year-old pens heart-wrenching street narratives riddled with eulogies for tragically lost family and friends. Throughout 2020, Zay has touched fans with singles like “Loyalty,” which encapsulates the emotional impact of his heaviest songs. In one half-sung couplet, he distills the callousness of Chicago street life. One of six children born to a single mother, Zay employed every hustle available to him growing up—selling newspapers, playing bucket drums, illicit grinds—to provide for himself and his family. But though Zay was in the street early, he was in the studio well before. By the time he was a teen, he was a budding star in the early 2010s Chicago drill scene alongside compatriots like Chief Keef. Zay dropped his celebrated and celebratory Hood Bible (2019) while glowing from signing to Warner Records, but his forthcoming project Trench Baby takes a different tack. He captures grief, trauma, and romantic heartbreak as much as he articulates the joy of survival.
