Kwame Returns With 'The Different Kids' Album
(2R's) Kwame returns with his new album, "The Different Kids." The 15-track project is a powerful, high-energy, and layered self-produced project that showcases several facets of the multi-hyphenate's artistic personality. "The album title explains how I always felt as a person," he explains. "I didn't necessarily align with mainstream life. I've always felt different. Putting the Kids part of the title as plural, it's a double thing. It speaks to the people who used to get into my music. I would refer to them as The Different Kids."
Throughout The Different Kids, Kwame blends witty braggadocio and captivating storytelling with precise, dexterous flows. He also weaves social commentary into his rewind-worthy rhymes. The intro to "The Kwame Show," for instance, sounds as if it could be the theme song from a classic television sitcom. The song then flips into a kinetic beat with Kwame rapping with a controlled poise about everything from his ageless appearance to the evolution of Black family structure.
On "Hello Anybody," Kwame wonders if he's the only one who sees the shortcomings of modern society while also addressing his own contradictions. "Adulthood" takes a realistic look at marriage, about how men and women can drift apart over the years. "I wanted to address things that are important to me, but not make it preachy," Kwame says. "That's the vibe of the whole album. I feel like I drop gems interwoven with the lyrics in different ways."
Elsewhere, "Ms Mary Mack" showcases Kwame flowing effortlessly over a spare, bouncy drum-driven beat, while he has guest vocalist Lady Tigra from L'Trimm speak to his community in a tongue-in-cheek manner on "Ole Skool Rapper."
Then, on "KWAME 2 KWAME" he imagines having a conversation with a younger version of himself. It all adds up to The Different Kids, an artistic tour de force from one of hip-hop's best rapper-producers.
"I decided I was only going to rap over beats I wanted to rap over," Kwame says. "I'm not going to allow what's 'in style' or 'out of style,' dictate what I do. I try to be as absolutely creative as I can possibly be without anybody telling me, 'No. You can't do that,' but myself. That thought process is the soul of the album." Stream the album here
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