Production duo Christian Rich assemble a super team with Jaden Smith, Vic Mensa and Belly for their new song “Shibuya (Ghost II).”
The track follows Smith and Christian Rich’s 2018 collaboration, “Ghost,” and the new version boasts the same menacing mix of trap drums and eerie synths. As the duo explained in a statement, they sent the “Ghost” beat to Smith, Vic Mensa and Belly, expecting each MC to return one verse, but Smith liked the song so much, he sent back three, allowing Christian Rich to spin it into its own song.
“Shibuya” recycles Smith’s second verse from the original “Ghost,” while Vic Mensa and Belly flesh out the song with potent performances of their own. The new track also arrives with an anime-inspired music video — set in the Shibuya district of Tokyo — that captures the song’s super team vibe.
“Delivering songs with superstars all on one song, we see them like combining the Avengers,” Christian Rich said in a statement. “Visually we created a short film concept to bring a new look to contemporary music but with nostalgic elements that connect the viewer to forgotten childhood adventures. We wanted to touch on the cartoons we watched as kids in Nigeria — G-Force, He-Man, stuff that’s nostalgic.”
Over the past few years, Christian Rich — which comprises twin brothers Kehinde and Taiwo Hassan — has contributed to projects from top rappers like Childish Gambino, Earl Sweatshirt, Vince Staples and Drake.
As for Smith, the rapper/actor released a new three-track project, Erys Is Coming, in April, which followed his two 2018 releases Syre: the Electric Album and The Sunset Tapes. He’s set to serve as support on select dates of Tyler, the Creator’s upcoming Igor tour, starting September 2nd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Meanwhile, Vic Mensa recently released a cover of the Cranberries’ “Zombies” with his new band 93PUNX, while his debut album as a solo artist, The Autobiography, arrived in 2017. And Belly released his most recent LP, Immigrant, in 2018.