Aczino’s stepping up his rap game. On July 16, the Mexican MC unveiled his newest joint track “Turn It Up” featuring Erick Sermon of hip-hop group EPMD, premiering exclusively on Remezcla.
With “Turn It Up,” Aczino continues to take Mexican rap to new levels while giving tribute to the generations that influenced him to become a rapper. “[Working with rap pioneer Sermon] is a very great honor for any rapper, especially for my generation and Mexican rap,” he tells Remezcla. “This is connecting with a generation from which we learned a lot and with whom we dream of collaborating; this opens the doors for more collaborations of this type to be made.”
The new hard-hitting bilingual song highlights the freestyler’s distinctive and cutthroat bars with a reverbed chorus that says: “Dale fuego prendan todos esos / Dale hasta que se prenda el cerro / Dale mami bájalo hasta el suelo / Bajo cero el cuello me congelo / Súbele DJ suelta el ritmo / Que retumbe en el edificio.” Sermon’s verse continues sprinkling in Spanish-language words while rapping about doing it for la raza and buying a new all-black Tesla. The beat, produced by Scoop DeVille, features G-funk-inspired synths with heavy bass, giving an ode to classic West Coast hip-hop.
Coming from a freestyle background – including winning the Red Bull Batalla World Final three times – Aczino always keeps his roots present in his rap collaborations. “The way of attacking those rhythms that are very old school is a clear example of the freestyle influence and also in lines, we even make a reference talking about the cups we have won in battles,” he says about the connection between the new song’s verses and his freestyle raps. “So, it’s something that is always present in my songs. Whether in technique or literally in a rhyme.”
All of these components are leading him up to his new album release S.A.D.M. (Salud, Amor, Dinero y Marihuana), on Oct. 2. The album’s producer DeVille – another great influence in the hip-hop world – helped Aczino with the new album, which aims to connect rap from Mexico and the U.S. He credits DeVille for facilitating connections with not only Sermon but also XZIBIT and Kid Frost, who are also featured on his album.
“[‘Turn It Up’ is] a very important song for me. It’s one of my favorites from this album,” he shares. “It has a style that I like since my beginnings in rap and I’m pleased to be able to continue doing it this way on an album so big and with so much production.”
Listen to Aczino’s new collaboration with Sermon “Turn It Up” below.