1.
Yeaaaah, Kokayi is dope. This is pretty eccentric stuff so it’s hard to give you an idea of what it sounds like. Let’s say, uh, Cee-Lo Green mixed with Joell Ortiz. Yeah? Kind of, but he’s got his own unique thing going on. Check out two tracks from his album Robots & Dinosaurs. The album also has some sing-songy acoustic jams on it too, but these first two hip-hop heavy ones are the first two that caught my ear.
What’s a Kokayi?
A rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer — in 2009, Kokayi was nominated for a Grammy for his co-writing and production work on Wayna’s Moonlight Rendevous, while also producing Tabi Bonney’s “Jet Setter” and a handful of tracks on Tabi’s new album, Fresh — KOKAYI also holds the distinction of having performed and lectured in over 35 countries, partnering with the US State Department as a cultural envoy in their Rhythm Roads initiative. With his new album, Robots & Dinosaurs, self-produced save for “Autumn Rules,” produced by Oddisee, Kokayi bridges the gaps between hip-hop, acoustic indie, and pop rock with an album that, at once, explores each of those while remaining a cohesive, flowing, and accessible project.
