Bay Area rapper Caleborate is gearing up for the release of his new album Light Hit My Skin next month, and shares the first single, “Contact,” featuring Brooklyn rapper Kota The Friend. The cross-coastal collaboration shows the two indie rappers are on the same wavelength despite their distance, as they address their grind from the basement to their current success. While Kota rhymes about the way his girl and his son lifted his spirits through the rough years, Caleb praises his aunt for having his back and sharing her weed with him as he worked his way through his early career.
Although he’s not a household name yet, Berkeley native Caleborate made some noise in 2016 with the release of his album 1993, which led to increased attention on its follow-ups. In 2017, he dropped Real Person, while in 2019, his Hear Me Out EP reassured fans that he was still cooking up. Meanwhile, Kota broke out in 2018 with Anything., received major acclaim in 2019 with Foto, and kept up the momentum in 2020 with Lyrics To Go, Vol. 1 and Everything. He opened this year with Lyrics To Go, Vol. 2, setting himself up for a big 2021.
“Contact” marks the two MCs’ first collaboration, despite their parallel tracks, but it shows they already have remarkable chemistry thanks to their complementary mindsets and independent hustle. Caleborate’s album Light Hit My Skin is due March 26 and also features Duckwrth, Deante’ Hitchcock, Cantrell, Tone Sinatra, and more.
Listen to “Contact” above.