Kamakaze loves his city.
Born and raised in the East Midlands hotspot of Leicester, the rapper—who’s been known to lace everything from grime and cloud-rap to UKG—is back with a new mixtape, Wavey Shirt Wednesday 2, the sequel to his 2017 project, and it’s an ode to hometown. With production from Oakland, INDEED, Lord Akira, Lowfades and more, the set’s previously released singles, “Time It Took” with Deuce Sparks, “Where We At?” with Trillary Banks and “Sunrise In The East” with Jafro, served as great tasters into the bar-heavy direction Kamakaze was heading towards with the 9-track project, with every featured artist also hailing from Leicester.
“Pretty Nice” is another highlight here; it’s the perfect introduction for new listeners, showcasing Kamakaze’s deep, almost baritone-esque rapping style and expert storytelling, while reaffirming why existing fans love him.
“I tried to take the concept of what Wavey Shirt Wednesday was in terms of style and feel, but with adjustments to my life right now,” Kamakaze tells Complex. “The elements and vibes from the producers are similar but the head-space I was in when writing it, in comparison to four years ago, was totally different. I wanted to somewhat continue from Memories Over Money in telling my story and being transparent with parts of my journey, whilst maintaining the signature of the original.”
“Another thing that was important in the process,” he says, “was showcasing Leicester as much as I could. So all the features you see, and a large percentage of production, came from the city. I feel like that’s just as crucial as my involvement because everyone who contributed, even down to the artist who designed the cover art, know me and know how I work, so it helped bring everything together nicely.”
