Kay The Prodigy, the rise of a phlegmatic rapper
Another artist that will need to be defended without the use of superlatives… After all, Kay doesn’t need that at 23. First, because she chose her own laudatory alias, The Prodigy, without even thinking about Albert Johnson of the duo Mobb Deep. And also because, as a good student of the contemporary rap scene, she easily stands out in an industry that alarmists claim is sclerotic. It seems that the nonchalance of Kay The Prodigy remains her most precious asset. A carefree attitude that is evident in most of her promotional photos – with a big smile and the middle finger raised – in interviews, and in the studio. The young woman engages in almost improvised recording sessions, with texts that are sometimes interchangeable, we must point out.
Kay grew up with Louis Armstrong, Nicki Minaj, Young Thug, Lil Wayne, Juicy J, Migos, Chief Keef, and A$AP Mob… But her prodigy remains Ateyaba (formerly Joke), a French rap outsider avid for experiences, who dreamed of changing the flows, the productions, and the rhyme placements. Because many emerging rappers content themselves with shamelessly plagiarizing US artists. And since Kay grew up with Ateyaba, she understood his language and respected his vision. As for the raw terms she uses, they come only from her. Real, authentic rap, without lies or fantasies.
– Have you, like most artists, developed an alter ego to protect yourself?
– I actually have three different identities. You could almost call them characters. Kay is an alter ego that I haven’t even fully discovered yet. I feel like I make music differently every day: an angry side, an all-knowing side, and a more… reasoned side.
– Where does this anger come from?
– Oh, you’re starting the therapy session?
– No, I’m just curious, that’s all.
– What if the opposite had happened?
– …
Kay allowed herself a few seconds of rest before answering this question. Then, with a burst of laughter, she said, “The collapse of culture.”
“Eastern Wind 2,” an EP with soul accents composed with beatmaker Mezzo Millo
The young woman of Malagasy origin began rapping quite early, around the age of fifteen to be precise. At that time, she operated without a real pseudonym within the collective LDE (Le Dernier étage). Like a prisoner of Soundcloud, the rapper had to wait until 2021 to reach a milestone. With the song Sentiments, she opts for a licentious egotrip of an unfrequented miss. Like most of her counterparts, Kay succumbed to the irregular rhythm of Southside Chicago drill music. In late December 2022, she defended her first EP, Eastern Wind, alongside Mezzo Millo, a beatmaker nostalgic for just about everything, “even for last week,” in his own words. The song Crime Parfait makes waves, and fans dream of associating Kay with La Fève or H JeuneCrack, two newcomers on the verge of abandoning their rookie label as the word “prodigy” is thrown about.
– Is the lugubrious rap over?
– It’s true that normally I prefer to rap over darker productions, but I’ve moved on. That’s trap… It’s gloomy, it’s mean. Do you really think we’re going to rap over Chantal Goya? Although, a sample of Bécassine would be a knockout! But Eastern Wind 2, our latest project, is not like that at all. I think I want to test a different color from my palette. It’s a beautiful evolution, don’t you think?
The five tracks of this EP somewhat renew the spirit of soul, with placements still as phlegmatic and texts still as raw. Kay’s flow is now sharper and perpetuates the long-criticized trend of mumble rap (for “mumbling”), a vocal technique shaped by a mispronunciation of consonants. As the end of the interview approaches, she confesses: this diction is absolutely not intentional.
“Eastern Wind 2” by Kay The Prodigy and Mezzo Millo, available..
