Philly rapper Ghais Guevara had a bit of a breakthrough with 2022’s self-released There Will Be No Super-Slave, and now he’s signed to Fat Possum (whose diverse roster also has hip hop representation from El-P and Armand Hammer/ELUCID) for his next album, Goyard Ibn Said, due January 24 (pre-order). He recently released the album’s psychedelic lead single “Leprosy,” and today he accompanies the album announcement with a second single, “Camera Shy,” a chipmunk-soul-infused song that embraces Ghais’ melodic side. “I remember the day I figured out the hook for this beat, I told the voice chat ‘Yo we got one,’” Ghais says. “It definitely feels like *the* stylistic shift for me. As if I earned enough XP to unlock hitmaker status lol.”

It comes with a video shot on film by Rhys Scarabosio, who says, “Ghais had a natural photographic quality to him you don’t always come by. When light hit him, it wasn’t difficult to find something pleasing. We shot on 16mm film to even further emphasize that star power he holds.” Check that out below.

The album was largely produced by Ghais himself, with additional production from purdyflacks & LILITH and DJ Haram. His aforementioned labelmate ELUCID appears on the album, as do McKinley Dixon, Yoko McThuggin, FARO, V, and guest instrumentalists Seb Zel, Desmond Teague, and Annie Elise.

Ghais also opens for ELUCID in Philly on January 17 at Kung Fu Necktie. It’s part of ELUCID’s 2025 tour (that also hits Brooklyn’s Baby’s All Right [1/18] the next night) and it’s currently Ghais’ only scheduled show.

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Tracklist
1. Introduction to Act 1
2. The Old Guard Is Dead
3. Leprosy
4. 3400
5. I Gazed Upon The Trap With Ambition
6. Monta Ellis
7. Yamean
8. Camera Shy
9. Introduction to Act 2
10. Bystander Effect
11. 4L
12. The Apple That Scarcely Fell
13. Branded
14. Critical Acclaim
15. Shaitan’s Spiderweb
16. You Can Skip This Part

Credits
Written and produced by Ghais Guevara, with additional production from purdyflacks & LILITH (Monta Ellis), and DJ Haram (Bystander Effect).

“Monta Ellis” features Yoko McThuggin
“Yamean” features FARO
“Bystander Effect” features ELUCID
“The Apple That Scarcely Fell” features McKinley Dixon
“Critical Acclaim” features vocals from V

Seb Zel – guitar on “4L”
Desmond Teague – woodwinds on “The Apple That Scarcely Fell” and saxophone on “Shaitan’s Spiderweb”
Annie Elise – strings on “The Apple That Scarcely Fell”

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