kidd AM

“i moved to New York for college in 2014. in all my time in the city, i could bet on one thing: no matter where i went, somebody was bound to ask where i’m from. for most folks, the indicator is my accent. for others, it's sumn bout the way i dress. whatever the case, the conversations would oft go the same:

“where you from?”

Louisiana.

“oh! New Orleans?!”

nah, i’m from Clinton. it’s a small town -- not too far from Baton Rouge.

“i think i’ve heard of Baton Rouge!”

i’m sure.

i imagine many small-town-to-big-city transplants have similar experiences. for those seeking to escape that which they left behind, the ignorance of others may signal a wave of relief. but me? i can’t help but to take it as a challenge.

my home is my foundation. it’s where i first learned how to love words like i do. it’s where i sang in the church choir and played in the school band. it’s where i was passed down the Zydeco slide and where i practiced my lil jig. it’s where i first found myself constantly, intentionally surrounded by sound. home is where i became an artist and a performer; so if that’s what people gon’ know me for, then they gon’ know bout the place that made me this way. this tape isn’t about Clinton; it’s about the fact that the music wouldn’t be what it is if i wasn’t from there.

for the past almost three years, DJali -- a New York native -- and i have been linking up, toying with, what seems like, every type of sound there is. he supplies these most infectious synths accompanied by them kinda 808s you can really feel. and here i come, with my melodies, my dialect, my punchlines. we made sho’ to do it a lil different every time ‘cause that’s how you get ‘em to remember.

i’m A Kidd from Clinton, and i’m here to put my hometown on the map.”