The first time I experienced Goya Gumbani was in a dark, stuffy Lower East Side basement in the summer of 2023. I had stumbled across a small show going on in this basement, so I had to step inside to see what it was about. As I descended the stairs into a room packed with people, I heard someone performing from the back of the room. Goya Gumbani’s music hit my ears, and I was immediately a fan. The music was calm and soulful, filling my body with the warmth that artists like Pink Siifu and Liv.e also deliver to me through their music.
After his performance, I stepped outside to get a breath of fresh air. Shortly after, I saw Goya and his crew emerge from the basement, all dressed in some of the flyest outfits I’d ever seen. As I got to know more about Goya over the following years, it became clear to me how both his music and his style were ridiculously on point. When his 2025 album Warlord of the Weejuns released this past March, I was overjoyed to see him express his undying love for loafers in the title. What many may not know, however, is this title also takes inspiration from a magazine headline about Miles Davis. It’s here where we can see Goya as not only a style master, but also a music lover walking in the path of the greats before him.
Goya’s Warlord of the Weejuns is an intentional masterpiece that moves in perfect timing. Skits are scattered throughout the album, giving the music room to breathe and creating a cinematic experience. The feel of the album is something similar to Pink Siifu and Ahwlee’s “Leather Blvd.”; it’s incredibly uplifting and blissful to listen to. The album brings together the worlds of Brooklyn hip-hop with new-gen London jazz, pulling in brilliant collaborators like Fatima, lojii, Yaya Bey, Joe Armon-Jones, SALIMATA, and more. Songs like “Firefly” and “Chase the Sunrise” burst with vibrant colors. “Manuva(s)” and “Beautiful BLACK” are some beautiful highlights for the jazz lovers; these two tracks transport me to another universe.
You can tell by listening that this album was created to be listened to in one sitting. Goya has said that he prefers to listen to music on vinyl, and is clearly an artist who recognizes the power in an expertly-curated album. And looking beyond the album, Goya is a curator in every sense of the word. From his selections as a DJ to his unmatched hat collection, Goya Gumbani is an embodiment of exploration and knowing good sh*t when you find it. Speaking of Good Sh*t… everything he does is just that. Listen to Warlord of the Weejuns and see for yourself!
