August Alsina is very much alive. The New Orleans singer is back with a vengeance with his cover of Kanye West’s Ye song “Wouldn’t Leave.”
Alsina transforms the braggadocious rap anthem into a soothing R&B ballad by keeping things simple and using his newly-gained experience to tell a meaningful tale. “Trace of your fragrance all over my skin / Try to escape it, but you pull me right back in,” Alsina emphasizes as he reminisces on a lovely encounter with a woman he can’t help but fancy.
For the accompanying visual, which he co-directed, Alsina is seen on a dusty, abandoned complex jiving and looking cool for the camera. Other moments in the subdued video find him brooding and staring stoically.
The captive Def Jam signee is meticulously plotting a comeback. According to Alsina, his third album hasn’t been revealed yet due to his “trash” label. But with the traction that “Wouldn’t Leave” is getting, hopefully, his Def Jam will emancipate him and his future music.
Watch the video for the somber cover below.
Words by Edward Dave