Naeem, the hip hop artist formerly known as Spank Rock, is only a couple of days away from his upcoming studio album release Startisha, out Friday via 37d03d. The artist has now released a new song from the upcoming project titled “Stone Harbor” which is “a simple love song to my boyfriend, written in and named after the shore town he and his family spend their summers, Stone Harbor, NJ,” the artist wrote in a press release.

“Stone Harbour” is an upbeat pop track, with catchy melodies and chorus, which are led by Naeem’s expressive vocal performance, as he sings about his lover. The rhythm has a catchy club inspired snare and deep bass, complemented by some sparse R&B vocal samples and the inclusion of synths.

Born Naeem Juwan, Naeem changed his name from Spank Rock to convey a change in his music which recalled that earlier sound, but discussed the “paranoid confusion, desperation and aggression” of our modern world. His first release as Naeem came out in 2018 with the single “Sway(e)d” a song produced by Boysnoize.

Both Swamp Dogg and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver joined up with the artist on the first single for this album “Simulation,” while Amanda Blank and Micah James joined forces with the artist for “Woo Woo Woo.” Work on this project began four years ago in Philadelphia, where Naeem met up with producers Sam Green and Grave Goods. After several recording sessions in Philadelphia and New York City, Naeem began recording the final product in Vernon’s home, according to a press release.

Photo Credit: Pamela Lin