PatricKxxLee enlists Sjava, Blxckie, Kashcpt, PsychoYP and more on new collaboration tape, Room 37

PatricKxxLee released Room 37 on 18 August 2023. It is a 14-track collaboration tape with Sjava, Blxckie, KashCPT, Burningforestboy, PsychoYP and co-producer KindlyNxsh. Since then he has put out singles such as “CUT ME OFF” and the five-song R!CK EP in October 2025. On 23 October 2026 he released Diary of an Arsonist 2, a 21-track sequel to his 2017 album Diary of an Arsonist.

What Room 37 is

Rapper, singer and producer PatricKxxLee released Room 37 in August 2023. It was his first project that year. The tape features musicians he backs, a mix of established names and rising acts: Sjava, Blxckie, KashCPT, Burningforestboy, Scumie, Baby Daiz and the Nigerian newcomer PsychoYP. KindlyNxsh co-produced the project and is credited as its executive producer.

He had never released anything like it before. He built the 14 tracks over about eight months. Most of his earlier catalogue was “sad” music he made alone. Room 37 covers a much wider range of moods and ideas. PatricKxxLee first came up in 2016 as one of the leaders of South Africa’s “New Wave” of rappers, and the tape keeps his reputation for deep, emotional music that speaks to listeners who feel lost.

Why he chose collaboration

PatricKxxLee said collaboration mattered because every artist has only one point of view. A featured artist will talk about love or a painful moment in a completely different way from how he would. He compared it to relationships, which depend on communication. In his view, working with others opens the door to a deeper connection.

He also said that hearing several points of view on the same song helps listeners see that everyone is different. Their own view is just as valid as the views of the artists on the track.

The artist known as “The King of Rage” said he hoped the tape would change the idea that he is only a dark or emo musician. He said he loves many kinds of music and has many sides. With this tape he wanted to break out of the box his earlier music had put him in, and he told fans he planned to explore new soundscapes.

The South African hip hop context in 2023

Room 37 came out when amapiano dominated South African music, and local hip hop had lost ground on the charts and in the clubs. Against that backdrop, PatricKxxLee set out to work with both established and up-and-coming hip hop artists on one project.

Inside the tape: key songs

Three songs anchor the story of how the tape was made:

1. “4R” opens the project and was the lead single. PatricKxxLee said he cried the day before he started working on it.
2. “Last Call” features Sjava and KindlyNxsh, who also produced it. Several outlets called this Afrofusion track the centrepiece of the tape. PatricKxxLee said getting Sjava on board and pulling the song off was a highlight.
3. “Gravity” was the last song he recorded for the project. He said it made him realise that the only person who can stop you from succeeding is yourself. It also helped him understand why he is the way he is.

Blxckie appears on “SIX” alongside Baby Daiz. It is an 808-heavy track where the two rappers trade verses over a haunting beat. Making the tape was an emotional rollercoaster, in his words.

The meaning of “37” and the portal door

The numbers 3 and 7 have a personal meaning for PatricKxxLee. His social media handles all end in 37. In numerology, 3 stands for peak creativity and 7 for the search for truth and understanding.

He described Room 37 as his own universe inside a single room, and he asked every artist on the project to create inside it. He pictured the room as an after-hours party hosted by him, where guests can say and do whatever they want and express themselves freely.

The TV series Stranger Things was a major influence. He wanted the sounds to take listeners into the unknown. He said the room exists outside time, in another dimension, which is why the cover art shows a portal door. The bright light in the doorway marks the entrance to that dimension. Bright light often signals a move to another plane, so the image suggests the listener is setting off for a new place.

The sound: Juno synths and new genres

The production leans heavily on Juno synthesizers. PatricKxxLee used them to make the music itself feel like a journey into the unknown.

His manager, Jenny Tan, said it was moving to watch him embrace teamwork, because he usually does all the work himself. She said he listened to other people’s suggestions, especially from co-producer KindlyNxsh, and his signature still came through on every song. She also pointed to his first moves into Afropop and Afro-soul as proof of how far he had grown as an artist.

How the Los Angeles trip shaped the tape

Work on the tape started right after PatricKxxLee’s 2022 trip to the United States. He came home at the end of November, developed the concept, and began recording Room 37 in December 2022.

The time in Los Angeles mattered because he saw what happens when many musicians and producers work together in one studio. He decided to try that approach on this record. That is why only four of the 14 songs on Room 37 have no features.

What he wanted listeners to take from it

His advice was to come to the tape with high expectations but no fixed expectations. He said there is something on it for everyone.

The songs are built to match different emotions. He said he wanted his music to soundtrack people’s strongest memories, happy or sad. He hoped listeners would enjoy their time with his music and accept the full depth of their experiences, good and bad.

What came after Room 37

At release, Room 37 was presented as a lead-up to a new album. The next full project took about three years. In the meantime, PatricKxxLee released a run of singles in 2025, including “CUT ME OFF” (4 July 2025), “HOME$ICK” and “Fired Up”. On 3 October 2025 he followed them with R!CK, a five-song EP that runs about 12 minutes.

The album arrived on 23 October 2026 as Diary of an Arsonist 2. It has 21 tracks, with Jae Cash among the guests, and the rollout included the songs “DON’T STOP”, “NEVAN” and “POLOPOLO”, plus a video for “2017”. Slikour On Life described it as a return to the raw emotion, personal struggle and darker sound of the 2017 original. That puts it closer to the “dark or emo” image that Room 37 was meant to move beyond.

FAQ

When was Room 37 released?

Room 37 came out on 18 August 2023. Deezer and Shazam both list that date. Some streaming pages show a later date, but those reflect catalogue updates, not the original release.

Who is featured on Room 37?

The guests include Sjava, Blxckie, KashCPT, Burningforestboy, Scumie, Baby Daiz and the Nigerian artist PsychoYP. KindlyNxsh co-produced the tape and appears on “Last Call” with Sjava. Ten of the 14 songs have at least one feature.

Why is it called Room 37?

PatricKxxLee has a personal link to the numbers 3 and 7, and his social handles end in 37. In numerology, 3 stands for creativity and 7 for the search for truth. He described the room as his own universe outside time, which is why the cover shows a glowing portal door.

Is Room 37 an album?

He called it a collaboration tape, not a studio album, and released it as a lead-up to a later album. That album turned out to be Diary of an Arsonist 2, released on 23 October 2026.

What is Diary of an Arsonist 2?

It is PatricKxxLee’s 21-track album from 23 October 2026 and a sequel to his 2017 project Diary of an Arsonist. Slikour On Life described it as a return to the raw emotion and darker sound of his early work. Jae Cash is among the featured artists.

What has PatricKxxLee released since Room 37?

In 2025 he released several singles, including “CUT ME OFF”, “HOME$ICK” and “Fired Up”, and then the five-song R!CK EP on 3 October 2025. His next full album, Diary of an Arsonist 2, came out in October 2026.

Sources

• Hype Magazine: “PatricKxxLee Drops Explosive First Project For the Year” (August 2023)
• Slikour On Life: “PatricKxxLee Drops New Project, ‘Room 37’ Featuring Blxckie, Sjava, KindlyNxsh, KashCPT, Scumie, Baby Daiz + More”
• Slikour On Life: “PatricKxxLee Returns With A New Chapter Of ‘Diary Of An Arsonist 2′”
• Front Page: “PatricKxxLee shift gears with Room 37 to show versatility of his artistry”
• Deezer: ROOM 37 album page
• Shazam: “Last Call” by PatricKxxLee, Sjava and Kindly Nxsh
• Apple Music: PatricKxxLee artist page and R!CK EP