He is in fact, a contradiction. Voli Contra hasn’t always been someone that’s shown a direct focus on any one thing he’s worked on. Years before adding the “Contra” to his name, Voli balanced his love for music with working a job to make ends meet. After finally making the decision to focus on his love of music 100% after having drinks and J. Cole expressing, “I just want you to know you were always the dopest rapper and producer I knew personally. You’re living that regular job life but you should know that” it would be the turning point to make anyone jump completely in.

10 years after moving to L.A. Voli has found success working with an assortment of artists ranging from 9th Wonder to Bebe Rexha to Rapsody, proving it was no fluke. Of his own music, Voli, who later added the “Contra” to his name, says, “When I write and produce, I try to get that feeling I first got listening to Big Pun’s lyricism or Timbaland’s production as a kid, and then combine it with a genre-bending format.”

Voli Contra shares the new video to the bouncy single, “Uptown (feat. Meli)” which holds a lot of swagger within its music and a vocal cadence that moves seamlessly along with the beats and melody.