Bronx-based rapper YC the Cynic is prepping for the August 26th release of his GNK project and today we have a new album cut "Negus." Produced by Frank Drake, who also handles board work for all of GNK's other songs, YC explained the vibe of the brooding track to Hive: "The beat is hypnotic, the pianos are to put the listener in a trance and the hi-hats are crashing. The production dictated my emotion when writing the song and I think it comes across to anyone who listens."

Those emotions are conveyed through rap verses that feature YC weaving in references to the mythical flying Pegasus and nodding to Marcus Garvey's Madison Square Garden speech. "The song is about the empowerment of a united people," the rapper told us. "It gives a fresh sound and perspective to an old and maybe tired or preachy topic." And if you were wondering, the title refers to the titular status of the sovereign of Ethiopia.

"Negus" holds down a mid-point position on GNK and YC promises that listeners can expect the rest of the album to reveal itself to be "honest, ambitious, progressive-thinking hip-hop" and that "it's filled with opinion, wrong or right, and [it's] searching for answering to the relatively unseen and unknown." He added that, in common with "Negus," the production on the project is "predominantly dark" and that there are no guest raps on the 12-track album. "I had too much to say," he added with a laugh. You can discover the extent of YC's words yourself later this month -- in the meantime consider it your duty to stream "Negus" below.