The 1975 are one of the hottest acts in music right now. In November, their third album A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships was met with both critical and popular adoration. And while the band appears to already be preparing to release their fourth record Notes On A Conditional Form later this year, they have also taken some time out to recruit and develop new talent for heir Dirty Hit imprint.
The latest act to join the fold is Virginia’s Caleb Steph. The 20-year-old is the first hip-hop artist to be signed to the label and is actually the younger brother of bubbling R&B star and Republic Records Signee Marco McKinnis. “Can I Talk,” his first single for Dirty Hit, is a brash opening statement.
“This is a motherf*cking true story told,” the song begins. What follows is a confident display of rhythmic control and tone filled and with assertions about Steph’s commitment to success and not worrying about much else. “Trust me and Imma go dope with this pencil / You can’t survive what I been through.”
The song premiered on premiered as on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 radio show on Tuesday morning. It was the world’s first taste of the young artist, and it probably won’t be the last.
