With the world in disarray, it can be nice to come back to some new music in order to make things feel a bit more normal, but even the music scene isn’t immune to COVID-19’s impact. The Denver-living, Queens-born artist Leintz recently dropped a song that’s definitely worth a listen, and has an interesting backstory about how it all came together. His new track Whoa! features the late Fred The Godson, a legendary New York rapper who tragically passed from COVID.
Fred The Godson’s death has left Leintz in a melancholy mood. From his mentorship during the song’s formation to the expected promotion for the song, Leintz was connected to Fred and had developed a relationship that looked like it would be fruitful for years to come. Now he has to fend for himself in terms of promotion and making sure the track gets heard by the right audience. This is always a difficult task, but it is especially hard given the current circumstances.
It didn’t help that all this was so unexpected. Whoa! was mixed and mastered before Fred was ever diagnosed with COVID, but Leintz knew something was wrong a few days after the song was finished. He reached out to Fred but got no response. Leintz is the kind of artist who won’t put out a collaboration without making sure the other artists involved are satisfied with the final product, so getting Fred’s blessing was an important part of the track’s release, and it was unlike him to be unresponsive.
When the news finally broke about the COVID diagnosis, Leintz wasn’t sure if he would even release Whoa!. He was focused on making sure Fred made it through this hard time, reaching out to his manager to send his best wishes. A few days after the diagnosis, things were looking good for Fred. New York news outlets were reporting that his condition was improving, and Leintz was thanking God for his recovery. Even with things looking up, less than a week later, Fred passed away.
His death hit Leintz hard. Whoa! was not supposed to be the end of their relationship, and they even had plans to shoot a music video in the coming months. Now Leintz is trying to figure out the best way forward. Contacting radio stations and streaming sites, the Denver-based rapper is hoping that the strength of the song will push it to new heights, despite the unfortunate circumstances.
The world is a crazy place at the moment, and while music can bring some comfort, it’s important to remember that even artists are affected by what’s going on today. Leintz is no different, but it appears as though his skill and ambition to push through difficult times will land him in a solid place once this is all over.
Listen to Whoa! and stay in tune with Leintz and his upcoming music.
JIGGY Hip Hop 
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