Citypop. Trap. And They Say The Marriage Was Beautiful. Citytrap EP By Kraftykid And J.Rovia Out Now
Citypop. Trap. And they say the marriage was beautiful.
How the collab came about
Kraftykid and J.Rovia are to The Hilt what EarlWolf was to Odd Future, what Method Man & Redman was to Wu-Tang, what Headie One & RV was to OFB. A subset within a group, with their own sound.
The rapper-producer-songwriter Kraftykid produced and executive produced the EP to flex his metal fingers. J.Rovia assisted with introspective raps and melodies.
The two MCs happen to live together, so an EP was a no-brainer. Now you have a 3-pack! Early Christmas present, I guess.
Citytrap
As the title suggests, this song has elements of citypop as well as trap. The filters and percussion are citypop-esque, and the 808s speak for themselves. The melody in the beat is where the two genres meet in the middle. The lyrics talk about using the talents you were blessed with, and not letting them fade in place of a job you can’t stand. Get loose!
Croozin
No apostrophe for these daredevils! Reminiscent of a time when rappers used Z’s instead of S’s at the end of wordz.
“Keep the family close, lessons I had to learn from within”, J.Rovia raps as the homesickness kicks in. Absence makes the heart grow fonder as they say.
Kraftykid adds on, “I need plaques though. Make up for all the times I spat through these plaques though.” Yes, they’ve left home, so it better have been worth it! Let’s manifest a platinum plaque for each 10,000 hours logged!
Pip
Top Gun sample ftw!
Followed by J.Rovia with a message I can get behind, “Time wasted stick to the point and drive, better done than only said.” Don’t talk about it, be about it. Even if you’re scared, you have to chase your dreams or you’ll regret it later.
Kraftykid follows, “Even if I die I won’t even die. Left behind a legacy for each to try.” Sentiments echoed from one of his previous singles ‘i don’t even mind’ where he croons about his legacy being his music, not kids.
Artwork
I was inspired by Citypop artists like Hiroshi Nagai, and some 1984 album artwork like Magical and After 5 Clash! That blend of warm and cool colours makes me sleepy, in a good way. I wanted to make something similar, but challenge myself with 3D models. Challenge accepted.
Moral
“Now I want tunes I can show family”, Kraftykid raps. And true to word, the EP, clocking in at only 7 minutes has not a single swear word by either of the rappers. The interesting part is, this was all subconsciously done.
Check out the EP for yourself and let us know in the comments which track you were feeling the most.
Kraftykid & Vangs Music’s “i don’t even mind” is Great Gatsby vs The American Dream in A Nutshell
For the one you’d risk it all for.
Verse 1
First, let’s talk about how melodic the beat sounds. Props to Vangs Music. It just compelled Kraftykid to sing away whether he was hitting the note or not. “They’re like, K she was bad why’d you let her get away?” he raps. One might call it self-sabotage, but there are many types of people out there. Some prefer to be single, some can’t do without a partner, some are poly, and some are even asexual.
“Guilty.” — Varys, 129 AC
Verse 2
Kraftykid half-jokingly credits his luck with women to his barber. But wait. To a black man, a barber is so important that we stay with the same one our whole life if we can help it. So important that Big Tobz & Blittz had to make an anthem about it. So important that Krafty had to pay homage to that song. “Gotta thank my barber for the puss that I’ve been getting.” Then in the same breath he shamelessly talk about his mum’s life lessons. You know the one. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”, and I hear he’s quiet in person…
Artwork
Others perceive single people to be lonely, and some are, but Krafty claims to be happier alone. So for the artwork I wanted to capture that desolate feeling and I referenced the Blade Runner 2049 poster but added the man turning into sand.
I’m convinced Ryan Gosling can do no wrong. What’s his best movie?
Moral
Kraftykid self-reflects on his perception of happiness as the Great Gatsby type versus the American Dream type which has permeated cultures all across the world. You know, starting a family, getting a dog, picket fence, etc. The moral of the story is don’t yuck someone’s yum, especially if you don’t understand it. Give the song a listen below and tell me what you think.