Watch: B Wise - Prince Akeem

Southwest Sydney rapper B Wise, aka Yung Eddie Murphy, will be coming in hot for his first headline show in Sydney this week: he's already gunned recent support slots for G-Eazy, Kid Cudi, and Wu-Tang's GZA, scored 5000+ plays and heaps of faves for his single Like You, and kicked ass on his feature on soul singer Thandie Phoenix’s sultry track Judgement, as well as delivered a catchy, fast-moving Vic Mensa-ish new single by way of Prince Akeem. Besides all that but, he's got smart rhymes, creative beats, confidence and, from the looks of this video clip we’re premiering on Pilerats today, seems like a pretty funny dude. Yup, in the current open-minded/open-sounded Australian hip hop climate, B Wise is poised for breakthrough. 

But for now, popcorn out please, it’s time for the feature presentation: the track’s been out for a minute: if you've not heard, Prince Akeem is a spritely, likable number set to a colourful, retro synthline from B Wise co-conspirator Ralph Lauren (of Jackie Onassis / One Day Sundays fame). The track and clip were both inspired by the 80s comedy Coming To America starring Eddie Murphy as an African prince, as B Wise tells us: "I was obsessed with this flick from a young age, especially during some difficult times in my childhood. When workshopping the video concept with director Bryce Hooper I knew it had to reference the movie, but didn't want to rip it off so put my own twist on the story line. I couldn't get rid of the rose bearers tho!"

In the clip, the African-Australian rapper (his Dad is Nigerian) traces his own ‘started from the bottom’ style story as a young mixed-race boy growing up in Australia, mistakenly believing that he came from a royal bloodline, and still claiming that confidence moving into adulthood. Adult B Wise rides around the streets in his whip, top down, dishing out raps in regal mode, flanked by some African babes chucking rose petals. Lyrically, he covers everything from hangovers to his heritage, all wound up in intelligent anecdotes and delivered with a flow smooth as a creamy hot chocolate. Watch the video and take a look behind the scenes of the shoot, below:

B Wise's debut will be out later this year.

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