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Music

Keeping an Ear Out for Moxie Raia

The LA singer's been working with everyone from Chance the Rapper to Vic Mensa, and her debut mixtape is imminent.

Moxie Raia recently dropped her latest tune—"Rudimental" with Jimi Tents—a song with dusty vinyl feel, a 90s R&B skip-beat, and Moxie's buttery vocals cruising throughout: duskily soulful one minute, effortlessly scaling impressive heights the next. (Wassup Lauryn Hill.) Based out of downtown LA, Moxie's been making music for several years, but of late she's been keeping busy collaborating the likes of Skrillex, Chance the Rapper, and Vic Mensa. Thus far there's just a few recent tasters of her solo skills online, like the lushly forlorn "How to Feel," (her sassy Travis Scott rework is also worth peeping).

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This March she's releasing her first mixtape 931 which boasts features from Jimi Tents, Post Malone, Pusha T, Goldlink, amongst others. The first song lifted from this collection is the aforementioned "How to Feel," but we gotta say "Rudimental" bangs way harder.

"Rudimental is about the simple things: It's about that moment when you walk outside for the first time in the morning and look up to the sky and the sun hits your face; for a second, you don't think about who to be; you just ARE," explains Moxie. "It’s about believing we are born with all the knowledge we'll ever need. It's why I reference William Wordsworth ('the child's the father of man'). Little kids are so wise and pure but as we get older the forces of the world and society can dim our light. It’s about washing those layers off and going back to who we were when we were born.

"It’s especially personal to me because the song was inspired by children I mentor who have taught me so much. I’m also really happy Jimi Tents is featured on the song since he’s such a good friend of mine."

Below is the premiere of a little getting to know you Moxie video, candid moments captured—Moxie goofing around, playing on the piano, singing sans a mic, and talking about some of her core inspirations. Watch below.