The two Turkish producers are chief architects of the country’s burgeoning hip-hop scene, having built the template for Turkey’s biggest rapper, Ezhel, on his 2017 debut, Müptezhel. Artz and Bugy are superstars at home, thanks to their eclectic styles and ability to infuse rap production with trap, reggaeton, and afrobeat elements.
Their debut EP, We Survive, they set out to make a global project that at once illustrates their Turkish roots while adapting their styles to create familiar ecosystems for the artists they recruited. The project begins with “Numby,” which stars BEAM (FKA Tyshane). Elsewhere, the duo get Grammy-nominated MC Freddie Gibbs to hop on a track, “War Time”. Royce da 5’9” and IAMDDB both pop in for verses as well, proving that the duo can build beats for a staggeringly diverse group of characters. The project ends with a song starring Ezhel, solidifying that no matter how far they stray from home, they have an obligation to honor their roots.