Selfish Ways Talk About “LIT LIFE”

Living a lit life isn’t just about possessing expensive things. Sometimes, it’s got far more to do with being in the right place at the right time: catching the sunlight as it illuminates the side of the mountain, or dancing to a perfect beat, or connecting with your best friends. There are plenty of signs of opulence in the video for “LIT LIFE,” the latest single from Selfish Ways — flashy cars, crisp new clothing, scenes shot in a glorious mansion in the Southern Californian hills. But if you ask the two rappers themselves, they’ll tell you that all of that stuff is wonderful but secondary. The real sign of the lit life is the chemistry between them, and their two girlfriends, as they make Los Angeles their playground.

The soundtrack comes from a modern master beatmaker. “LIT LIFE” is a collaboration between Prince Riley and King Riley, the two South Carolina-born brothers who constitute Selfish Ways, and the Cuban-born, Miami-based, Latin Grammy-nominated producer MAAHEZ. All three artists have always been interested in erasing boundaries and forging transcultural connections, and they’ve outdone themselves with a track that effortlessly straddles hip-hop, club music, and island soul. “Lit” implies brightness, electricity, clarity, and wide-open vistas, and this track is a beam of pure sunshine on a warm-water wave.

It’s no exaggeration to call MAAHEZ one of the architects of the current pan-Caribbean sound. He’s one of the main men behind moombahton, the blissed-out fusion of tropical beats and urban grit that set the clubs aflame in the mid-teens. The vocalists in Selfish Ways have impressive track records, too: they’ve shared stages with Yo Gotti, T.I., Waka Flocka Flame, 50 Cent, Gucci Mane, and many other rap legends. “Been Here,” their 2020 collaboration with Riggi and Piros, is an exercise in relaxed confidence. They don’t have to strain to live the lit life — when you’re this talented, it comes naturally.

Castro Tarantino’s clip for “LIT LIFE” is set in one of the world’s most lit places: Venice Beach in Los Angeles. Prince Riley, King Riley, and two beautiful companions stroll the boardwalk and the skatepark on a day so sunny and brilliant it almost seems supernatural. Later, they’re joined by MAAHEZ for a trip to 777 Sarbonne Road in Bel-Air – one of the area’s priciest spec homes, with an asking price of $87,777,777. Seven is a magical number here; the triple sevens in both its address and price tag are just the beginning, as many of the home’s architectural details were designed in measurements that are multiples of seven. The crew takes a dip in a spectacular swimming pool overlooking Los Angeles after dark. An irony that isn’t lost on these connoisseurs of chill: things are never more lit than they are when the sun goes down.

We got Selfish Ways to weigh in on a few things

What makes you two the perfect team? How did this collaboration come to be?

Both Versatile, like reptilians, we adapt to our environment but we refuse to become a product of it. Our focus is to always create the wave and have fun surfing on it with the ones that believe in us.

We are the perfect team because we understand each other, even as kids there’s been a crazy level of professional focus for us with this music, since 2005 now. s, almost 20 years of hard work all the hard work we put in over the years since kids to pursuing the music industry professionally since 2005.

We’re in 2022 now! Just imagine the growth of almost 20 years worth of trials, and we both appreciate the journey that it’s easy to build with as a duo and as individuals by remembering and honoring those steps.

What is each of your roles in Selfish Ways?

We are blood brothers named Prince Riley & King Riley and we’re gods because of our musical blessings, for us, the value of our collaboration was premeditated.

Music has always been a part of our lives, especially since our mother and father were also heavily into music. Pretty crazy story actually, but when MC Hammer’s “Can’t Touch This” was the hottest record out? He wanted my mother to join and sing on his tour.

That unfiltered and rare wisdom has helped us to conquer all perspectives. We both understand the need to individually wear multiple hats in order to succeed within the inevitable. As soon as we get the scent of inspiration our tenacity immediately kicks in and allows us to both set our minds to our roles while holding each other accountable in any area that we may lack in individually.

What types of songs and genres inspire the music you create?

We listen to old school music ranging from the classics between 90s R&B / Rock/ EDM and of course the up-to-date and modern music.

If we’re talking specifics? You can always catch the following in our playlists; Shai, New Edition, Force MDs, Boyz 2 Men, Donell Jones, Michael Jackson, The Killers, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Queen, AC/DC, Chris Brown, Drake, Akon, The Weeknd, Ali Ozbrn, and Maahez.

Also, not to sound arrogant…but we listen to ourselves (Selfish Ways) 98% of the time now. If it’s not something released or upcoming, we’re creating.

If you could describe your sound in 3 words what would it be?

3 words to describe our music would be: Extraordinary, Alive, Colorful

Tell us about “LIT LIFE”, what is the message and feelings behind it?

Lit Life is living carefree of judgment by fully embracing the moment of now.

While creating “Lit Life” we wanted to imply our energy and experience of just forgetting all the negativity that’s going on in the world, to love our freedom, and promote positive vibes.

“Live every second like it’s your last” – Selfish Ways

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.