Sadat X has spent the last two years preparing an album a whole generation of Hip-Hop fans have been waiting for. "Never Left", is a project that celebrates Sadat X' illustrious 25 year career and serves as a testament to New York City's continued ability to fit in today's musical landscape.

Sadat conceptualized the project with Fokis after the two had worked together on several projects under Fokis' Loyalty Digital Corp imprint. The idea was simple, "a lot of people have the perception that at some point you're supposed to just turn it off like a switch," explains the Brand Nubian co-founder."I still love Hip-Hop every day, I'm still Hip-Hop every day. It's my lifestyle, it's what I grew up on. So I just tried to transcribe that through music and let people in my generation know that it's okay to still love rap. You don't have to be trapped by what's played on the radio or the mainstream. There's something out there for you.”

The result is a cohesive collection of songs, that avoids the tendency many older artists have to overly criticize or attempt to emulate what the "kids" are doing. Instead, "Never Left" is simply a well-crafted Adult Contemporary Hip-Hop album, perhaps the first of it's kind to fit perfectly into today's landscape without losing site of it's audience. This is not an attempt by Sadat X to turn Millennials into fans, although their ears are more than welcome and what they will find will certainly resonate. This is "grown folks" music.

The project is also very much a New York City album, something Sadat makes clear on the very first track, "We In New York." Listeners are offered a sonic ride that feels familiar without being dated. "Never Left" captures the feeling of New York's Golden Era, carried forward 25 years by a man who has lived the culture to the fullest. Along the way, Sadat stays in pocket with notable features by contemporaries like Black Rob, Craig G, King T, Dres, Chi Ali, who lends his vocals to the reggae inspired "Put It On Me," and Cormega, who appears on the project's first official single, "On Fire." Sadat also recruits one of the leaders of New York's next generation of true MCs, Skyzoo on the project, as well as newcomer Tony Mays, who won the opportunity to contribute to this project through an online contest presented by Loyalty Digital Corp.

Overall, "Never Left" promises to surprise even the most loyal of fans, a fact which Fokis credits to Sadat's commitment to deliver the best possible album. "Even though he’s been doing this for 20 plus years, he’s always willing and open to being guided," Fokis says. "It’s like working with a veteran with a new artist’s mentality. And I think his commitment to getting it right definitely shows in the quality of the music."

Upon it's release "Never Left" will be accompanied by a short documentary offering fans an inside look into Sadat's recording process as well as commentary by other artists on his storied Hip-Hop legacy. Check out music videos off the project here https://www.youtube.com/user/SadatXVEVO/featured