Hip Hop Habit: Kleos & Davy
posted in: Artist Features • Urban
Kleos and Davy, the so-called the last great babies of the 80s, hope to make a mark on the hip hop game not by becoming the next Nas or Jay-Z, but by using their arrogance, intelligence and motivation to be remembered as nothing more than who they truly are. As the opening line of their biography claims Their music is full of deep metaphors and punch lines that will make you press rewind just to completely understand their depth and lyricism.
A listen to the majority of their songs will reveal the imbalance between the amount of attention given to sound and lyrics. The track Glistening is no exception. Here, a thick, warped synth riff moves offbeat percussion to create a sonic whirlwind of sorts. Its originality is apparent from the start, but it ceases to evolve during the rest of the track. Luckily, the same can’t be said for the team’s rhymes. The arrogance they tout as part of their central theme is audible almost immediately, with an opening chorus shouting Don’t have to ask for/ Me and Jones know you listening/ Cause when we walk in/ It sorta looks like we glistenin’. From comparing themselves to the mayor to trumpeting their well roundedness by dissing those who waste away in cubicles, both rappers win listeners over with cunning lines that”while may not be philosophical”are entertaining nonetheless.
The Future has a completely different vibe right out of the gate. Recalling the far east, K & D use foreign noise as platform to promote themselves as the future of hip hop, evident in the chorus We brand new/ So let me introduce us/ A little something different that you ain’t used to. As ironic as this may seem for a duo who emphasizes the fact they were born in the 80s, it still comes across as truth. And again, their unwavering confidence makes itself known, best represented in the line Kinda arrogant encouraged by your compliments/ And we national/ Dude stick to your conference. The beat once more does not transition past its initial offering, really only consisting of a sample and single snare shot per beat, but their enthusiasm and dreams more than make up for it.
Judging by the fact these two emcees have only been making music together for three years, they should be sharing their self-assurance with much larger audiences in years to come. Keep an ear out for the solid beats and sharp rhymes on a stage near you in the future!