
Music
brooklyn bred mc and independent artist, kota the friend, returns in 2021 setting the tone releasing lyrics-to-go vol 2.
Waking to a notification that there’s new music from KOTA The Friend, really got me excited and is a perfect way to start the week. These days it’s not often that you get new music on a Monday, so this got my attention and I immediately pressed play without thinking twice. “Lyrics To Go Vol.2” is the Brooklyn MC’s follow up to his 2020 mixtape of the same title, and serves as a quick “catch up session” updating his fans about where he is emotionally. Similar to its predecessor, KOTA’s new release follows the same formula of keeping songs just under two minutes, with the entire project capped at 15 minutes. I enjoy this easy to digest format because the artist gets straight to the point without wasting your time with fillers. With such a short running time, one would expect to feel a sense of urgency, but in this case, each song sounds intentional and KOTA delivers bars with his signature laid back approach that puts you at ease as he glides from one song to the next. He even takes time to let the beat breathe at the beginning of each song, demonstrating a man who is in control of his craft.
I like “Clinton Hill” which opens the project with a classic back-packer beat that allows KOTA to tell the his come-up story and how he is now the inspiration to the young kids. KOTA’s content is message driven but often quite reflective. This offering is a perfect appetiser to keep fans occupied while he gets ready to release his 3rd studio album later this year.
Lyrics To Go Vol.2 is part of the mixtape series that gather’s inspiration from KOTA’s YouTube video series of the same name.
“Lyrics-to-Go was created to be the perfect way to get a heavy message across in a minute or less and it turned into something so significant. I wouldn’t be here without those short videos, so I decided to make it a series and drop a new volume every year to stay grounded. Most importantly, to remind my day 1’s, I’m still here for you.”– KOTA the Friend.
KOTA has perfected the short and to the point style on his mixtapes, making his music easy to leave on rotation. You can stream Lyrics To Go Vol.2 below:
https://soundcloud.com/kotathefriend/sets/lyrics-to-go-vol-2-1/s-sARfVQanvOn
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