Higher Brothers' "7-11": The Story Behind The Track

Higher Brothers’ “7-11” was the product of many late-night visits to the titular convenience store.

A video by Beats by Dre reveals how the idea for Higher Brothers’ “7-11” came about.

When compared to their other tracks, Higher Brothers’ “7-11” has a significantly different feel. The banger providers broke away from the usual vibe on their debut album Black Cab to create the track for a reason.

If you’re not in the know, Higher Brothers are a rap group from Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China’s Sichuan province. They signed to Asian-focused record label 88rising, who are associated with Rich Chigga and Joji as well. Their track “Made in China” went viral after being put on a reaction video featuring a cast of credible rappers including Lil Yachty, Playboi Carti and KYLE. “7-11” is the last track on their debut album Black Cab, and it was inspired by the groups frequent snack runs after working into the dead of the night.

According to Masiwei (first from the right), the version we hear on the album is not the first. The video includes a snippet of an initial version of “7-11”, which sounds much more in line with what the group usually puts out. Masiwei shares that when that version was released, some people felt that they “could only make really dirty, noisy music”.

Masiwei then decided that he wanted to give the track a little old-school spin instead. Sampling a retro sounding instrumental and using vintage drum sounds, he then put together the beat on the current version of “7-11”. The group then incorporated DZ’s (first from the left) knack for singing into the tune and the result was just what they needed.

The group also shares important ideas about delivery and, to put it in other words, being passionate about your own music before anyone else is. With that kind of passion, you can expect Higher Brothers to put out more amazing music in time to come. Watch the video by Beats by Dre below.