A new release from The Kyd brings out an incredibly honest and straightforward set of lyrics that feel like they may be so hard to talk about that he had to put it into song and sometimes those are the things that make for the best music out there.
"Prozac" feels like a blend of freshened-up old-school and new school hip hop approaches mending it together to create an atmosphere that's all his own.
You can hear elements of some genuine underground rap Styles as well and I think that just has to do with the realness of what the track is actually about.
A lot of people feel certain things and are unable to talk about them so Songs Like This for the listener let them feel like they're not alone in whatever struggle they may have.
So, songs like this are really important to put out there in the world because not only is it cathartic for the artist but it's also something that reaches out to certain kinds of listeners so that they can understand it.
You have to love this artist's style and flow as well because the performance of a song like this is really important.
You can't just have a song that talks about serious things or struggles or inner battles without a performance that matches those words, and The Kyd pulls it off without a hitch.
When it's over you feel a little bit closer to the artist and that's something that's a rarity these days.
This was sort of intense at times, but he never goes over the top and talks about what he does. That beat is classic and the five and that groove is as well so the whole track feels a touch nostalgic musically.
It's a sort of conscious hip hop which again is also something you don't see much of unfortunately because it's the kind of Hip Hop that reaches more people than the standard and so we need more artists like this to release music into the world in my opinion.
Music that makes you think or feel. Songs that make you understand what the artist is talking about. It doesn't even matter what the genre is, we just need more music like this.
But again, he does his thing really well and comes through with a realness and authenticity that you can feel in your bones.
With the release of such a genuine single, we wanted to touch base with The Kyd to talk about where this all came from and what might be next for the artist.
Here's what happened.
RAG: Let's kick things off with "Prozac". This single came through very honest and impactful for me! Where did this track come from?
Appreciate that, it’s probably one of the most spontaneous tracks I’ve done, honestly. If I write something, it’s usually pretty formed in my head as far as the beat and the approach I’m going to take, and I’ll probably have a rough rhyme scheme idea or two written that I’ve saved specifically for the track I’m working on that’ll help set the writing off.
But with Prozac, it kind of just came out of the blue. I generally deal with some form of anxiety as a day-to-day thing, but there was a period around last spring/summer where it might have been at its worst due to some life things, the pressures of the pandemic, some stuff going on in the music thing that was bumming me out that really made me consider quitting, etc. So I just came across the Prozac beat in a pack that Atrade (the producer) sent me, bought it, and wrote the whole thing in like an hour or so from scratch. It was more of like the beat fit the mood I was in at that moment and I just wanted to vent. I didn’t even really think much about releasing it or how it might fit on this upcoming project until I listened to it back a few times.
The content of the verses are pretty much discussing how I’ve dealt with anxiety but also come from a family in which both sides have struggled with addiction, particularly alcoholism, so I’ve always kind of been petrified of leaning on substances to cope with it. Hip-hop has always been a good outlet for me to help avoid that. So getting to a point where I felt like I didn’t want to rap anymore mostly due to all the wack stuff you have to deal with outside of making the music really messed me up for a bit. This track and a few others written around the same time came from a pretty dark period.
RAG: When did this all start for you musically?
Got into hip-hop in high school when a friend got us to try freestyling to some Biggie beats, which then quickly blossomed into me becoming a hip-hop fanatic and really taking studying the craft and how to write rhymes seriously. It hasn’t really stopped since.
RAG: This track has some great styles! Can you give us some of your top musical influences?
For sure, some of my top musical influences are artists like Nas, AZ, Wu-Tang (especially Ghostface, Raekwon and Inspectah Deck), Black Thought of the Roots, Big Pun, Big L, Common, Rakim, Kool G Rap, Eminem, Lloyd Banks, Jay-Z, Royce da 5’9, Lupe and Elzhi. I’ve always gravitated towards the more lyrical artists.
RAG: What are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
Working, grabbing a beer with the gents, reading, watching movies, or gaming a bit.
RAG: Who's in your headphones right now?
Been bumping that new SZA album and a whole lot of Roc Marci and Lloyd Banks mixtapes. Plus, some Marvin and some Muse. Been giving albums like Nas’s It Was Written, AZ’s Pieces of a Man, and Big Pun’s Capital Punishment regular spins lately, too. That’s just a few.
RAG: Are you doing any live performances right now?
Not yet but hope to get to doing those soon.
RAG: This single feels like a big undertaking, is there any advice you'd give to other up and coming artists out there?
Nothing remarkable right now haha but one thing I might say is that if you’re in any financial position at all to have someone help you with marketing your music aside from the things you can easily do yourself, consider looking into that and finding someone to work with who you can trust. It’s a worthwhile investment no matter what level you’re at and just relieves a lot of the stress that comes with releasing a song or project, especially if you’re struggling with balancing a job and pursuing music like a lot of people are. Aside from that, just keep on doing stuff that feels natural to you and don’t do something just because it’s trendy or you’ve heard some random IG influencers say you have to do it to succeed.
RAG: What can your fans expect from you in the near future?
Have an album “The Overture,” which Prozac is included on, dropping March 16th. Then after that, I’ll be still be active dropping music the rest of the year. Been writing a lot lately. Have some collaborations coming later this year most likely as well. Not stopping anytime soon.
RAG: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
Just want to say thanks to those listening or whoever have taken the time to share it or hit me up to give props for the music, I always really appreciate it! Been really grateful for the response I’ve gotten to the stuff I’ve dropped so far. Thanks! Much more to come.