9 hours ago
KayCyy Comes Into His Own on 'BEFORE I WAS BORN'
KayCyyhas been one of contemporary hip-hop's favorite featured artists.
The Kenya-born, Saint Paul, Minnesota-bred rapper has racked up a Rolodex of industry-wide A-list co-signs and credits. Most notably, just when he started gaining momentum as a rising artist, KayCyy contributed production and writing toYe'sDondain 2021, having worked closely with the rapper since connecting through mutual friend and record executive Abou 'Bu' Thiam, who later went on to become both artists' managers. Now 27 years old, KayCyy earned a coveted Grammy nom for for Album of the Year for his work onDonda,nabbing the Grammy win for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his backing vocals on 'Hurricane.'
After proving his production prowess onDonda,KayCyy continued his momentum with some more standout singles (including 'Stay Up' withLancey Foux), followed by his first-ever collaborative EP withGesaffelstein,TW20 50, which spanned a trio of tracks and dropped on streaming services in March of 2022. The project established the pair's unexpectedly effortless-sounding ease of creative collaboration, KayCyy's slick vocals sliding over the distinctly smooth Gesaffelstein melodies, laying the groundwork for the duo's second collaborative EP,TW2052,in May of 2023, which came after another impressive KayCyy mixtape,Get Used To It, which dropped in June of 2022 and features Foux and 070 Shake among others.
It's not just the heavyweights, theLil Keeds andJoey Bada$$es, that KayCyy chooses to tap in with; onGet Used To It,the malleable musician chooses to champion other emerging talent like Annahstasia and Nigerian-London singer Steven Bamidele.
To close out 2023, the rapper hopped onTravis Scott'sUTOPIA,offering up vocals to 'THANK GOD,' on which KayCyy wasn't credited, which prompted him to drop 'My Jeans' with original cover art that read 'I'M NOT NO BACKGROUND SINGER.' Shortly thereafter, he assistedWestside GunnwithAnd Then You Pray For Metitle track, 'AND THEN YOU PRAY FOR ME,' closing out Gunn's captivating album on a high note.
He's spent the last year or so continuing to dial in his sound, showing out on more small artist features and just over two months before droppingBEFORE I WAS BORN,he dropped another collaborative mixtape with Irish musician sign crushes motorist, curating a duo they called HIIBRYD. DubbedSADDEST TRUTH,the tape leans into a more indie-inspired rap sound and arrives as another prime example of KayCyy's collaborative capabilities and the versatility of his shape-shifting sonic persona.
That's all to say that each one of these collaborative mixtapes, singles, and production credits has paved the way forBEFORE I WAS BORN.
Handled almost completely solo, the 13-track project is an ode to KayCyy's independence – something only made possible by the journey he took to get here. Still toeing the line between being a behind-the-scenes force from the shadows and stepping fully into the mainstream, this is likely the most lowkey KayCyy will ever be. Swerving from nostalgic R&B-influenced cuts to trap-turned ballads,BEFORE I WAS BORNputs KayCyy's artistic adaptability center stage.
StreamBEFORE I WAS BORN– out everywhere now.
