New London, Connecticut, might not be the first city that comes to mind as a breeding ground for talented lyricists, but Hayze, still in his late-teens and hailing from the northeast city, is looking to change that. Discovered by Apathy, the Demigodz rapper known in his own right as one of hip-hop’s premier wordsmiths, Hayze recently signed with Man Bites Dog Records, and is now planning to release his debut mixtape, The Smoker’s Section, on March 7th.

Today, Hayze is releasing a brand new single from the tape, “Life Is Hell,” which features Apathy and serves as a perfect introduction for the hardened, quick-witted lyricism that caught Apathy’s attention when he first heard Hayze rap less than a year ago. “He sounded mad different from anything I was hearing,” recalls Apathy. “Most fans would probably expect me to champion someone who has a similar sound as Demigodz, or Army of the Pharaohs, but that’s exactly the opposite of what I heard from him and what I dug about his music.”