Hannibal King—a World's Fair affiliate out of Queens whose name you might recognize from the production credits on Remy Banks' World Famous mixtape—is preparing to stake out on his own with the release of an album next month. He's kicked off his campaign with "Don't Die," a self-produced song that he says saved his life.
"I wrote the song coming out of a really rough state. Suicidal and depressed, I had to find a way to change my state of being," King explained in an email to The FADER. "I wrote it at 4 a.m. in the morning in the studio, very not sober. Writing the song helped me get free and realize where I needed to be in my life at that moment. The artistic process of writing the song breathed a new purpose for my life."
In the accompanying video, premiering today on The FADER, he recalls that day: his hand grasping tightly at a brown bagged-beverage while he stumbles through the twilight hours in a blood stained tee. Eventually, he dishes out thank you's: I just wanna buy a crib for my momma, she saved my life/ I just wanna buy a ring for my shorty, she saved my life/ I just wanna buy a chain for the homie, he saved my life/ I just wanna buy the world for the people, they saved my life. Watch above or listen below.