Pa Salieu has shared his new hopeful single ‘Belly’ marking his first new music since his release from prison.
The BRIT-nominated rapper was found guilty of possessing a bottle as an offensive weapon and a second count of violent disorder after a fight broke out following the stabbing of his friend Fidel Glasgow, grandson of The Specials’ Neville Staple, in 2018. Salieu was released earlier this week (September 3) after serving roughly 21 months in prison.
The same day he was released, the rapper shared a clip teasing his new track on Instagram which saw him rapping the first few lines of the song from the front window of a car. Now, Salieu has released the song, titled ‘Belly’.
Produced by his long-term collaborators Felix Joseph and AoD, the track sees Salieu rap about a hopeful future over a loungey and energetic beat. “Cold nights I was sellin’ from a celly / Oh, Lord, we no stop, ’til the money hits belly,” he raps reflecting on his time in prison and looking forward to creating a stable future.
Directed by Earthboi, the song’s accompanying video sees the rapper perform the track within his community in London. ‘Belly’ marks his first release since 2022’s ‘Blessing Me’ – his collab with Mura Masa and Skillibeng.
Salieu’s last project release was his 2021 EP ‘Afrikan Rebel’. In a four-star review, NME shared: “Pa Salieu is forever championing his heritage as a proud fan and contributor to Africa’s growing subgenres all over the continent. He might be known here in the UK as an alternative grime ground-breaker, but he is truly more than that when he dabbles in making music with his fellow Africans. Taking his rebellious nature in his stride, ‘Afrikan Rebel’ is a great EP to tide us over for his debut album proper.”
The rapper also performed at the 2022 edition of Glastonbury at Worthy Farm which earned him a glowing five-star review from NME. “Let’s hope he’s prepared for a good few more years of this, then: watching a talent like Salieu put in such a polished and poised performance at the world’s biggest music festival so early in his career bodes very well indeed,” wrote Sam Moore.