All-around Breakdown: Anwar HighSign FKA Has-Lo Discusses New Birthday EP Live N*gga Prophesy (Bandcamp Exclusive)

Anwar HighSign is a talented emcee and producer originally hailing from Philly. Anwar HighSign went by Has-Lo for the majority of his career up until very recently. Anwar HighSign/Has-Lo has appeared on songs alongside Al-Shid, Arckatron, Armand Hammer, Blueprint, Castle, Dr. Quandary, August Fanon, Willie Green, HU$ KINGPIN & SmooVth, Illogic, J-Zone, Open Mike Eagle, Preservation, Vic Spencer, and Stik Figa. Most recently, Anwar appeared on "Pressed" from Atmosphere's 2021 effort, WORD? going bar for bar with BlackLiq, Sa-Roc, Haphduzn & Lateef The Truthspeaker. Just about two weeks ago, Anwar HighSign self-released his second proper project since moving onward and upward from Has-Lo.

Live N*gga Prophesy was released on February 4th (on Anwar's birthday) and boasts five original tracks fully written, produced, and arranged by Anwar HighSign himself. Kyle Tierce (Quandary) for Memetic Supply Co. made a hand-cut paper collage with some digital embellishments for the vibrant cover artwork. Live N*gga Prophesy EP is now available exclusively on Bandcamp on a Name-Your-Price basis. However, it will become available on streaming services relatively soon. Anwar HighSign was kind enough to provide us with a comprehensive track-by-track breakdown to accompany his newest EP. You can find that very All-around Breakdown down below, along with each accompanying track from Live N*gga Prophesy.


"This one is pretty new. I made the beat a few months ago on the Koala app. It was this wavy thing that I kept going back to. I could listen to it loop over and over for mad long and not get tired of it. The bassline was going so crazy; after a few days of waiting for it to get old, I knew it had the potential to be one of those songs. The lyrics were originally on a darker beat. It wasn’t fully scratching that itch, though. I even thought about getting a guest on it, but after sitting with the lyrics for a while, it felt complete. I almost didn't include it on the EP because I was holding it for some other grand project of some sort. Artist sh*t. Glad I did... [Live N*gga Prophesy] (L.N.P.) wouldn't be as dope, sans "Game, Blouses.'"


"'Dover" has been "on the grill," so to speak, for a long time. It went through a couple different versions [with] different names. I ended up doing a major re-write before I was happy with it. Got to play with structure a bit, too. When songs switch up completely and keep going [on the] same track, my heart falls a little more deeply in love. The singing part felt like a great opportunity to push the song a little further, so I did the beat change. That made it pop."


"I just wanted to make a fly love song. I wanted to make a song for women, about a woman. But not... simpish... but, actually, simpin' a teensy bit, but not for real, for real. That one I did in Ableton and some in Logic. I stretched it slow playing around. It was wigglin', though! I chiseled together the lyrics and laid it. I've been listening to [Quasimoto's] The Further Adventures of Lord Quas again lately. [Me] and my man, Arckatron, were talking about [Madlib's] vocal-pitching technique. The slowed down [Has-Lo] voice was me experimenting with that kind of thing in my own little way."


"That one is straight off the [MPC] 2000XL. One of the things I like most about it is the speed. It's one of those BPM's I seem to float on. The vibe feels raw, like a freestyle. And the overall tempo of Hip-Hop has slowed a bit, so it feels scrappy and dirty, but still vibrant. I got to kinda split the difference lyrically. I try not to rhyme about rhyming, if I can help it, but there's still some technique on display here. This was snake/crane."


"I have to give a special shout-out to my good friend, Quandary, for "Contessa." That was a loop I caught off this obscure Italian soundtrack album from the 70's. I felt like it might be too easy. Producer sh*t. He, basically, told me I was buggin' and to stop buggin'. I put those lyrics with it and there you have it. A [silky] smooth ending for the EP. Just float... then, spin that b*tch back."