Most musicians spend their careers trying to figure out what they’re supposed to sound like. Zack Roberson, who performs as Zackwa Did it Again, seems less interested in that question. His new album “The Scarlet Room,” dropping November 17, moves between Hendrix-style guitar work, Prince-inspired funk, and J. Cole’s introspective hip-hop without apology. It’s the kind of project that only makes sense when one person controls every aspect of the process.
“I was doing music since I was a child,” Roberson recalls. “My auntie had me, my brothers and cousins in a music group.” By age five, he was already performing for family members, those impromptu living room concerts that either fade into embarrassing memories or become something more. For him, it stuck.
His father introduced him to the foundational stuff. Prince, Michael Jackson, Earth Wind & Fire, The Gap Band, Bootsy Collins. “I later went on to sing in chorus in elementary school and entered the band during middle school playing the trombone and doing piano lessons at home,” Roberson says. The original plan was Full Sail University in Florida, but he ended up interning at studios in Atlanta instead, working alongside A&R executive Askia Fountain. That’s where he learned the technical side, how to actually build a track from the ground up.
“Depends on which song,” Roberson says when asked to describe his sound. “It could sound like Prince at one moment, Jimi Hendrix in another, J. Cole or Kendrick. Music is about sounds and I embrace them all.”
That approach comes through on the two lead singles, “Heart on Alahayim” and “Keep the Commandments.” Both tracks balance his guitar playing with melodies that feel both vintage and current. But there’s another layer here that’s harder to pin down. Roberson describes himself as a religious leader alongside his musical roles, and that perspective runs through everything. “Love is the greatest commandment,” he explains. “This album is my reminder to the world that truth, love, and unity are still the keys to freedom.”
It’s not preachy, exactly. More like someone who’s thought deeply about what music can actually do beyond entertainment. “Understanding and hope,” Roberson says when asked what he wants listeners to take away. “Music is for healing and for us to grow in love towards one another.”
Zackwa Did it Again produced, performed, engineered, mixed, and mastered every track on “The Scarlet Room” himself. He’s now based in Egypt, running his own studio and releasing work on his own terms. Before that, he spent years recording artists across multiple genres. Atlanta hip-hop, Arabian music, island sounds, acts from every coast. Each project taught him something about how different cultures approach rhythm and melody.
“I love bands and appreciate other musicians. Everyone is different and hears different and sees different and that makes all music special,” he says. “Personally I like Lenny Kravitz, Jimi Hendrix, Earth Wind & Fire and Sade. They all have their own styles but have beautifully crafted it.”
The album is available for early download on his website ahead of the official release. For an independent artist working outside traditional industry structures, that direct connection matters. Streaming numbers are fine, but actual downloads mean people are choosing to own the music. His previous two albums are also available there.
What’s interesting about “The Scarlet Room” is how it doesn’t try to fit anywhere specific. One track might lean into funk grooves, the next could swing toward psychedelic rock, then shift into something that sounds like contemporary conscious rap. The thread connecting it all is intention. Roberson wants the music to mean something beyond just sounding good.
“Love is the greatest commandment, seek after love and you’ll find life,” Roberson says. “I hope my music helps you get there.”
For an independent artist working completely outside the traditional system, “The Scarlet Room” is exactly what Roberson set out to make. No label interference, no producers pushing him toward trends, no compromises on the message or the sound. Just one person’s complete creative statement.
There’s something to be said for that kind of creative control, for an artist who can execute their complete vision without compromise. Whether you’re into the religious themes or not, whether you prefer your funk pure or your hip-hop traditional, “The Scarlet Room” represents one person’s attempt to say something meaningful through music. In an industry that often pushes artists toward whatever’s currently working, that’s worth paying attention to.
For more information and to pre-save “The Scarlet Room,” visit Roberson’s website. Follow him on Instagram and TikTok, or stream his music on Spotify. The album is available to pre-save here.
