Azanti and Psycho YP, Apex Village’s formidable duo, return with “Don’t Need Nobody,” a track that throbs with an assertive flow amidst a backdrop of shimmering lysergic haze. The song arrives as part of their collaborative album, YP & Azanti, Vol. 2, the much-anticipated sequel to their 2020 project YP & Azanti, Vol. 1. Their prior effort established a powerful musical chemistry, a beautiful synthesis of Azanti’s gentler and poppier rhythms with Psycho YP’s genre-bending fusion of alté and hip-hop. On this track, that alchemy intensifies.

“Don’t Need Nobody” spreads out on a gliding, sinuous synth melody, creating a soundscape that is translucently psychedelic in its trippiness.  Mid-tempo, almost-languid drums lay down a bed of slow-core hip-hop, upon which both artists take turns extolling the virtues of solitude.

Psycho YP enters first, establishing the track’s foundation. This foundation is punctuated by judiciously placed, heavy-hitting beats that drop, maintaining momentum without derailing the overall ambience. Often heralded for his fiery delivery amidst a barrage of frenetic trap snares, the rapper, YP, demonstrates dexterity here. He adapts to the song’s less guttural rhythm. Though his verses retain a hint of swagger, they easily integrate with the song’s rhythm, his verses weaving elements of trap into the song’s DNA and adding a layer of textured dynamism without overpowering Azanti’s smooth vocals, which waft in later.

Both artists don’t cancel each other out; instead, they create a beautiful push-and-pull dynamic. Azanti’s soothingly grounds the frenetic energy that YP’s verses creates — verses that contain bars which add a necessary edge to the overall record. The coup de grâce, however, arrives at the very end – a surprise saxophone solo that injects a touch of unexpected jazz into the already flavored mix.