Rising star KayOrAlpha couldn’t pick one favourite mixtape, so he selected two- one from the US and one from the UK.
What’s your favourite mixtape ever?
It’s definitely a close call between ‘Artist’ by A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie or ‘Training Day’ by Potter Payper; but I have to say ‘Artist’ slightly edges it.
Why is it so significant to you?
In both respects, they are fantastic mixtapes, legendary almost! But I feel with ‘Artist’, I discovered it around the same time my love for music truly began to blossom. During the initial stages after things had transpired and events throughout life had taken place, little did I know I was en route to becoming the person I am today.
Were there any artists or producers that you discovered through this tape?
I never discovered any artist or producers in particular as it was a solo mixtape from A Boogie, but looking back on it, I feel quite naive for not understanding the chemistry behind a track and what makes it special, what makes it click, not like I do today. I’m definitely going to have to revisit it.
Where exactly were you when you heard the mixtape for the first time?
Funny enough I can’t actually remember when I would’ve discovered the mixtape for the first time; only the feeling I felt, if that makes sense. Knowing me, these times I was still in education so I was probably making my transit to or from school, for me that was the time I was most personal with my thoughts.
Did it come into your life at a significant time?
Well yeah – as I said – these were the times I began to understand who I was and what I wanted, music and boxing were outlets for me to put my mind into, as even though I was still going through battles mentally, these outlets were the things that kept me sane. That’s most likely why I gravitated towards them, they both hold sort of an uplifting presence.
How did the mixtape cover make you feel?
At the time – not understanding the symbolism behind the music – I wouldn’t have felt anything looking at the cover art but now over time, I can see that it portrays being a puppet, whether that’s to the game or your environment. I feel like that’s more relatable than people may think, it’s about learning and understanding how to sever those strings.
Describe the mixtape in three words?
Euphoric. Real. Legendary.
What song is your personal favourite and why?
100% without a doubt it has to be ‘Jungle’ and that’s without a thought! I feel like every line portrays the way I feel, the idea of being an underdog and coming from a place with no links and connections, people seeing your dream and not resonating. The idea of people seeing you come up and feeling or knowing people are plotting on you, it’s that idea of stepping through the jungle and concurring it. You can find that kind of vibe and understating in my latest release ‘Lemme Introduce Myself (Intro)’. In this track after coming back from my hiatus, I let people know taking me in ain’t an option no more and I couldn’t really care less whether you want to rock with me or step through the jungle with me. With our without I’m going to get min regardless.
If you could put a price on this mixtape, how much would you pay?
For an album like this, it’s hard to put a price on it, as the content itself is priceless however if I have to I’d say a nice £10 sheet. I feel like that’s just a solid number, not too overpriced but enough to appreciate.
Did you have a physical copy?
No, keep in mind when I first discovered this mixtape I was a youth, I would’ve had no idea about physical copies and definitely wouldn’t have bought one, due to me not really using disks unless it’s to playing video games. YouTube, Soundcloud, Tubidy would’ve been where it’s at.
Which is your favourite that you have a physical copy of?
To be honest, I don’t currently own any physical copies of any tapes, I mostly stream them via Spotify or Apple Music and if I really support the artist’s work, I would purchase the track via iTunes.
‘Lemme Introduce Myself (Intro)’ dropped Feb 24th
