Over the course of this week I had the pleasure of getting to know a rapper by the name of KOTA The Friend. It all started as I was on a quest to search for new, cutting edge lyrical rap.
Let’s just say Kota was a breath of fresh air. Everything from his delivery to his lyrics, wordplay and aesthetic.
Kota has a series of videos up on his YouTube channel. They all have a similar format but that’s what makes it so digestible. All you see is a regular looking dude with an amazing background spitting nothing but bars. There are usually some yellow subtitles at the bottom so you can follow along.
Let me tell you this dude is clever. He touches on topics from baby mommas, being a father, his hometown to mental health issues. Dude is honestly versatile and a breath of fresh air for Hip-Hop. His raps are often delivered by this calm, non-threatening tone that makes each bar connect and you never miss a beat.
Still, you can tell that he is delivering with such honesty and sincerity you can’t help but to feel it. A part from his song ‘For Colored Boys’ I personally enjoy goes like this:
And do not be afraid of change
It could be a segue way
To a better something
But have patience
And always make time for family and celebration
And every good thing in life requires dedication
Like career, wife, kids, and it’s spiritual
The point of our existence isn’t physical
I think I may have found a new favorite rapper of mine. I’ll post some recommended songs below so you can check him out:
Artistic Apathy 