Mindfulness is the new single from American rapper River Nelson and producer AltoBeats. It’s the first song off their forthcoming album We Should Escape, which is a follow-up to their 2021 release, Like the Sun Didn’t Sink.

The word Mindfulness, as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “The practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.”

So, on top of AltoBeats’ lush production, River raps about working toward that goal and wanting to achieve it consistently — especially amid today’s societal ills, like racial and political dissension, increased violence, and people suffering from poverty and homelessness.

“I’ve been reading a lot about achieving mindfulness lately, which gave me the idea for the song,” says River. “Then once Alto crafted the beat, I instantly wrote the hook and got underway with the verses. Mindfulness is one of those songs that truly poured out of me, and it came together very quickly — probably because the topic has been at the forefront of my mind for a while. I also think people can use the song to help them worry less and achieve mindfulness in their own lives. At least that’s what I’m hoping.”

As for River and Alto’s new album We Should Escape, it arrives on October 6, 2023, and they couldn’t be more excited for their fans to hear it. 

Mindfulness is out now- https://song.link/i/1704423288
——

About River Nelson:

River Nelson began his recording career when he was signed to Arista Records by label executive Joy Bailey while Clive Davis was still at the helm. He also hooked up with New York rappers the Boogiemonsters and was featured on the group’s debut Riders of The Storm: The Underwater Album.

Afterward, River worked with legendary UK producer Lewis Parker and the two created the critically praised album, The Rise & Fall of River Nelson in 2010 and their follow up, The Shape of The Sky, in 2013.

In 2016 River released his third studio album How to Dream, followed by the EP Navigation in 2017, and the LP Power, Resilience & Joy in 2019. Then in 2021, the album Like the Sun Didn’t Sink was released to stellar reviews.

River — who was born in New York City and spent his childhood in Norwalk, Connecticut — has carved out a nice following for himself in the U.S., Europe and other parts of the globe.

About AltoBeats:

AltoBeats is a Mexican-American beat maker and music producer from Pacoima, California. He’s classically trained in music theory, playing piano since childhood and accordion since his teenage years.

Today, he's a respected beat maker, and his influences are J Dilla, Madlib, 9th Wonder, Freddie Joachim, RZA, Apollo Brown, The Alchemist, Quincy Jones, Johan Johansson, Stro Elliot, and many others.

Alto and River have been working together since River’s 2019 album, Power, Resilience & Joy. Their first full project together was 2021’s Like the Sun Didn’t Sink.