It’s no secret that when a young artist gets a co-sign from an icon in music, they’re bound to do great things in the industry. As for Yung Kayo, he received some love from the one and only Young Thug last year, and the moment I saw Thugger post his music on Instagram, I knew he was a special talent that I had to pay attention to. Thanks to his hard work, unique sound, and his adaptability to all kinds of production, it was announced earlier this year that Kayo signed to Thug’s YSL Record label with the likes of Gunna, Lil Keed, Lil Duke, Wheezy, Turbo, and many other notable members.
When I saw he dropped a new song late last week, I had no choice but to tune in, and the results were magnificent, per usual. This record is called “U N I”, and he teams up with frequent collaborator Warpstr to bring this hit to life. Warpstr creates a light, airy instrumental through angelic synths, pungent, echoing 808s, and subdued yet crisp percussion. This beat is perfect because it’s not only fun-loving and lighthearted, but it also shows a different, less aggressive, and more adoring side of Kayo that has been presented in the past, but not necessarily as often as his more hard-nosed, gritty tracks. It almost reminds me of a beat that someone like Young Lean would hop on, and although this might sound strange coming from a DMV rapper, he absolutely kills it on all fronts.
As he comes in for the chorus, Kayo half-sings, half-raps his words in a very tuneful way. His bars are split up into segments, allowing the final word of each part to reverberate and echo off into the distance, leading us seamlessly into the next portion. He continues this breeziness into the first verse, raising the tone of his voice to boast some quicker, choppier bars that provide differentiation to the rhythm but also show off some of the various aptitudes he has displayed copiously in the past.
Even when he lowers his pitch, the background ad-libs repeat the last word of each line in a higher, more wispy manner, complementing the instrumental incredibly. After another chorus, Kayo heightens his vigor as he raises the enthusiasm in his delivery and truly stretches every last drop out of his pure, fresh autotuned vocals effortlessly. Throughout this record, Kayo touches on themes like focusing all of his attention on his significant other, his ample amount of money, designer clothing, and luxurious vehicles that come with his success in the music industry.
When the coupled visual opens up, two girls show up at the door of a clean, modern-styled mansion and knock on the door. A man answers the door, prompting them to ask if Kayo is there. When he pretends to not know who they’re talking about, the girl in the back says some sort of password, leading to their entry into the party. A graffitied halfpipe is shown off in slow motion as the instrumental begins to play before showing off a group of red Solo cups organized in a way that spells out the name of the song. Kayo walks into the frame to sing his hook, wearing an all-white outfit that has hits of colorful tie-dye ink, coupling with the aesthetic of the white mansion and painted halfpipe. While this small function seems to be turning up, other shots of Kayo either riding around with one of the aforementioned girls on a bike or driving her around in a BMW i8 are on display, showing off the carefree life that he enjoys being able to live. Eventually, they end up taking the party to the backyard to relish the beautiful day, jump in the pool, and just have an untroubled day full of fun and excitement.
It’s hard to even begin to start talking about Yung Kayo and all of his talents because he has shown fans on multiple occasions that he’s not an artist that can be placed in a box. He constantly tries out different sounds and I personally have yet to hear a style that he hasn’t mastered, and the fact that he’s still on the come up is extremely promising to me, from a fan’s perspective. I think his music is just going to keep getting better and more diverse, and that’s definitely something I can’t wait to see unfold. He might not sound exactly like other artists signed to YSL, but he’s bringing that diversity to the label that is going to strengthen the roster incredibly. Whether you’ve been listening to Kayo for years or this is your introduction, you’re not going to want to miss out on his latest track “U N I”, so make sure you peep the new song and visual below.