Maz unveils video for introspective single "Wake Up"

Sleepwalker was released in full yesterday (16 December), and includes previous singles "Nightmare" and "Sleepwalker".

Maz has also shared the video for his hard-hitting single "Wake Up", which sees him reflect on his own darkness stood in front of a mirror.

Discussing "Wake Up", Maz says, ""Wake Up" is the third song and video of the Sleepwalker trilogy. I must admit, the song is quite preachy, but there were some things that I needed to get off my chest. This song treats and concludes on the main themes of the EP. After "Nightmare", I reflected on how I got inspired to write this song ("Nightmare"). I question myself in a sense where I don't understand where my melancholic and depressive tendencies come from as I got everything that I want (in terms of love, childhood, luxury)."

Maz adds, "I continue and kind of criticise the youth for romanticising mental health issues and its consequences like self-harm or even suicide, but I don't necessarily want to point a finger at anybody, but see myself as part of the problem. That's where I look into the mirror in the second verse and depict my own hypocrisy. In general, I want the youth to wake up, to realise that they can achieve so much by just believing in themselves and their dreams (just like I'm trying to do it)."

Speaking to Best Fit about his new EP, Maz says, "It’s always very important for me to spread the message. So Sleepwalker is really about taking our masks off, to look in the mirror. Really to look in the mirror and not to hate each other and not to hate yourself. And it’s also a lot about my generation and how we don’t feel accepted sometimes and how we have the feeling that we need to fight for our future sometimes. It’s a weird world and I’m trying to spread a positive message and it’s very important for me to say that."

The rapper recently completed a tour funded by a kickstarter in support of his forthcoming EP, and opened for Nicki Minaj at Luxembourg's Rockhal concert venue.