Get into the sounds of VA rapper Alpha.

Three years after his death, the legacy of A Tribe Called Quest's Phife Dawg lives on. 

Alpha is a young rapper'singer/producer from Virginia. In 2010, he got on the radar of Phife; he became his protege. Over a span of years, Alpha worked on his sound, trying to get to this moment. He is getting ready to release his debut EP DERMIS this year. 

READ:Respect The Trini-Gladiator: 15 Stories To Celebrate Phife Dawg's Legacy

Today, we are pleased to premiere the first single from the upcoming EP; the song is called "Float," and it was produced by Braden Blair. It features Alpha rapping, quite well, over a droozy, hypnotic beat.

In a press release, Alpha talked about the song, and the rappers he was influenced by:

The song's inspired by lessons I've had to learn the hard way. It's a reminder to stay focused and dodge the bullshit. When I was a kid I turned to JAY[-Z] and Andre [3000] Musically for that, so I wanted to revive that feeling. I also love joy riding with the speakers on blast, so I wanted to make a song people could cruise to.

Phife would be proud. Listen to Alpha's debut single "Float" below.