Zacchae'us Paul Debuts New R&B Single 'STAY' with donSMITH Ahead of Sophomore Album

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The track features vocalist Safa and trumpeter Milena Casado, previewing the album JAZZ MONEY VOL. 2: SWINGIN' R&B on Candid Records.

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Atlanta-born multi-instrumentalist, producer, and vocalist Zacchae'us Paul released the new single 'STAY,' featuring close friend and collaborator, donSMITH. Produced by Down To Mars, with vocals from Paul and Safa, plus trumpet from Milena Casado, the track is from his forthcoming sophomore album JAZZ MONEY VOL. 2: SWINGIN' R&B, out October 16 on Candid Records.

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Listeners can pre-order the album and listen to 'STAY' here .

'This right here is a classic R&B record featuring one of my closest friends and one of my groomsmen, donSMITH, produced by Malachi Mabson of Down To Mars,' says Zacchae'us Paul. 'I wanted a record that reminded people I have range—that I can step into this lane just as naturally as any other. This isn't me trying R&B. This is part of who I am. Today, people love to put artists into boxes. You're the jazz guy. You're the R&B guy. You're the gospel guy. I've never looked at music that way. '

Paul continues, 'Growing up in the church gave me a foundation that allowed me to understand all of these genres because they're all connected. I couldn't make authentic jazz without understanding gospel. I couldn't make authentic R&B without understanding jazz, blues, and the church. They're all part of the same family tree. I'm an R&B artist, and I'm a jazz artist. The only difference is that I'm presenting this work under the umbrella of jazz because my mission is to re-center jazz in a Black cultural context. I was introduced to jazz through John Coltrane, Duke Ellington , and the avant-garde movement, but I was also raised on Anita Baker , Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, K-Ci & JoJo, Marvin Gaye , Sam Cooke , and The O'Jays. Add to that the quartet tradition—the Canton Spirituals and my father's group, Walt Beasley and the Gospel Explosion—and you can hear how those harmonies shaped what eventually became modern R&B. To me, none of these styles exist in isolation. They're all connected through the Black musical tradition. This record is proof that I don't have to choose one lane. I do this.'

'STAY' follows the release of last month's single, ' BETTER MUST COME ,' a reimagination of a traditional hymn through the lens of swingin' R&B, which brings together elements of jazz, gospel, soul, and modern production into a single statement. Co-produced by Paul and DJ OOOCHILD, the single features bars by Happy Qavah, donSMITH, and Dezron Douglas' bass.

'I knew I wanted a song on this album that centered on God's love, and I wanted to reinterpret a hymn in a way that felt authentic to my musical language,' shares Paul. 'Rather than simply covering the hymn, I wanted to reimagine it through the lens of Swingin' R&B. I'm especially proud of how this track came together. It captures exactly what I hoped this album would represent: honoring tradition while pushing it forward in my own voice.'

Plenty of artists have attempted the alchemy that Zacchae'us Paul offers with JAZZ MONEY VOL. 2: SWINGIN' R&B; but few, if any, have pulled it off with the seamlessness, ingenuity, and sheer quality that the emerging star manages.

Diamond-sharp beats complement nimble acoustic jazz drumming. Emcees with effortless flow alternate with jazz soloists spinning long-form improvisations. Jazz rhythm sections thrive on an album that also features producer tags, interludes, and bookends of spoken word. And the lessons in spontaneous creation that guide a classic jazz LP meet the cinematic storytelling that defines so many LPs from hip-hop's golden age.

'STAY' and ' BETTER MUST COME ,' along with the previously released pair of singles 'LOOK TO THE SKY' and 'SHE F*CK WITH THE RACKS,' showcase Paul's skills as a classically trained jazz musician, dedicated rap and R&B producer, plus neo-soul crooner.

A love album at heart, 'LOOK TO THE SKY' is a captivating examination of the cycle of life and death. It is furiously swinging postbop shot through with spiritual jazz, featuring saxophonist/composer Eric Wyatt, who intended this piece as an homage to his late mother, and lyrics by Paul, who reflected on the baby girl he and his spouse have on the way. Paul also provided the vocals on 'LOOK TO THE SKY,' and tapped the talents of GRAMMY Award-nominated jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold for the track.

Meanwhile, 'SHE F*CK WITH THE RACKS' tells the story of two ride-or-die homegirls. On the other side of the coin, it's also about the women whose loyalty is pledged to the dollar instead of genuine love. With its expletive-laden hook, soulful harmonies, and spiraling soprano sax by Kebbi Williams, this track is a distillation of Paul's notion of 'jazz money' as a spinoff of the 'hood rich' concept: the confluence of elegance and ambition with a street-level sensibility.

Paul says, 'To me, that's Hood Jazz—music rooted in the neighborhood, informed by tradition, and designed to make people dance while reconnecting them to something greater than themselves.'

1. THE INTRODUCTION BY Marshall Allen

2. SWINGIN' R&B

3. SHE F*CK WITH THE RACKS

4. SISTA SISTA

5. STAY

6. JAZZ MONEY VOL 2

7. LOOK TO THE SKY

8. FUEL

9. NEW ZACH SWING

10. BETTER MUST COME

11. GREATER MUST COME

12. CHERRY LAFFY TAFFY

13. SHE BAD

14. PULL UP ON ME

15. KEYBASS SYMPHONY IN C

16. TEN outta TEN

17. THE ERIC WYATT INTERVIEW

Photo Credit: Royce Isaac

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Episode

_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Zacchaeus-Paul-Releases-New-RB-Single-STAY-Featuring-donSMITH-20260918)._