Premiere: Fake Friends Are Making Emerging Rapper GZ Tian A “Moody Kid”

Manchester-born, London-based GZ Tian was always destined to be musical. Born to a mother who was an internationally-respected Guzheng (Chinese harp) performer and a father who found success in the two disparate worlds of punk and jazz, GZ was encouraged to pick up music almost from birth.

That discipline and appreciation for a vast array of music has clearly served him well, leading him to a musical output with a truly international sound, taking inspiration from as far and wide as XXXTentacion to jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove. His latest single, “Moody Kid” is a low-slung, woozy rap cut that pays its dues to his UK and Chinese backgrounds as well as incorporating jazz, emo, R&B and more. As he effortlessly stirs those elements together, the Kno One-directed visuals further amplify the lo-fi moodiness with deep, passionate purples and glitchy, psychedelic effects.

“‘Moody Kid’ was one of the first songs I made for the EP — I wrote it about some of the people I had around me at the time, people that would show fake love and ruin my mood. I wanted the song to sound fun and fresh; a song which you can relate to conceptually but also bounce to.”

“Moody Kid” is the first track to be taken from his upcoming Another Artist EP.