Last night (Feb 27), Interscope Records artist Mereba hosted an album listening party to celebrate the release of her debut project The Jungle is the Only Way at Space 15 Twenty, impressing a packed out crowd with the sultry, dynamic vocals from her latest offering.
Upon entering, guests were treated to vodka and whiskey cocktails along with Ethiopian honey wine, an ode to the artist’s roots. In addition, a woman was present to give attendees a chance to experience an authentic Ethiopian coffee ceremony, a time meant for friends and family to catch up with each other.
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As the clock struck 8 pm, Mereba emerged from backstage with stirring spoken word set against the backdrop of soothing instrumentation. “Feed the rest more. Feed the nest more”, the artist remarked while playing guitar. “This is very surreal for me. I’m trying not to make eye contact for too long so I don’t get emotional,” Mereba noted as she took in the energy from the crowd during her set.
Running through cuts like “Kinfolk”, “On the Rocks”, and “Heatwave” feat 6lack who attended the event to support the singer, Mereba blended flawlessly poetic lyrics with poignant melodies. Her voice embodies rich tones of R&B coupled with a slight leaning of country-esque sound.
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Speaking to HipHopDX briefly before her performance, Mereba spoke at length about the inspiration for the title of the album saying, “When I was in the process of making this, I was going through the most difficult circumstances of my life thus far, and I just got inspired by the idea of accepting the struggle.
She continued, “I was going through and knowing that the only way to become what I was hoping to become, which is an artist that can inspire other people to keep going, was to actually go through it myself.”
The Jungle is the Only Way Out features 13 tracks of songs and spoken word from Mereba with fellow label mate J.I.D. joining the artist on “Sandstorm” and 6lack assisting on “Heatwave.” Throughout the album, the versatile singer croons of the stories of love, loss, and lessons learned. Save for the 9th Wonder-produced “Black Truck,” the singer co-produced/produced every track on the project as well as oversaw the masterpiece creatively as its executive director.
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Stream The Jungle is the Only Way Out down below.
