CEO of the friendship group

Newham native Zino Vinci enjoys well-deserved virality with the release of his new single CEO of the friendship group.

Initially just a verse made for circulation on TikTok, Zino Vinci finished the track after seeing its blistering reception on the video sharing app, a plethora of fans pleading for an official release. The song is now out and does not disappoint.

Zino Vinci has always struck me as an old school guy; from his fashion sense, often wearing American style bomber jackets and snapbacks, to the music he releases, his debut EP Baby Blue being reminiscent of J Cole, or Kendrick’s earlier works. Zino’s first release of 2022 (and this single’s predecessor) Namaste marked a significant shift in his music, still an anachronistic feel but with a distinctly modern tinge. ‘CEO of the friendship group’ follows this trend. 

Whilst drill-inspired, it would be reductive to pigeonhole it into that genre. The Dominic Sookin produced instrumental is diaphanous, an Ark Patrol sample forming the basis of the beat with a heavily reverbed snippet from AJ Tracey’s Packages freestyle used as the bridge. The 808s are plucky, further augmenting the song’s lightness, and its distinct bounce. 

The song is playful, the title alluding to the ‘Leader of the Friend Group’ memes that have been in circulation for the past year. Rapping ‘baby just copped some comic books man I think she likes me’ in the first verse, CEO of the friendship group sees Zino describe a woman he desires whilst giving further insight into his personality. If 2022 is any indication, the multi-faceted creative has many more tricks up his sleeve, and I am excited to see where he takes things next.