What is Arufe up to these days? The Galician rapper is raising a middle finger to all the sad boys out there, starting with June’s “Neno,” produced by Arkestra Discos co-founder Mwëslee. In his latest effort, which is premiering exclusively on Remezcla, he found the antidote to what he believes is a current trend that glorifies sadness, and synthesized it into a simple word: motivaçao. He has turned the Portuguese word for – you guessed it – motivation into his life motto. As he told Remezcla over email, “The concept behind motivaçao is what currently defines me in this moment. I enjoy doing what I love, without worrying about the obstacles and enjoying the ride.” Those good vibes are hard to resist.
“Motivaçao” immediately takes us back to the laid-back, beachy sounds of his 2015 album Isla. That’s probably not a coincidence, since trusty collaborator Judah is back behind the boards (he also lent some vocals to “Neno”). You probably wouldn’t have guessed it from his signature breezy delivery, but pay attention to the lyrics and you’ll find him fed up with the anxiety-inducing realities of online life. On an escapist tip, he claims he’d rather spend 24 hours lying in his bed and fantasizing about a tropical getaway than praying to the Internet to achieve glory in this “futuristic world where you need everything.” Oh, and he also finds a moment to take a stab at copycats in the rap game. Moral of the story? Don’t be extravagant, like Baywatch‘s Mitch Buchannon.