After recording a number of edgy dancehall songs, singjay Kempo goes for a change of pace with “Tik Tok Freestyle”, a hip hop single released in May by his Kempo Music label.
Known for singles such as “Sad Song” and “High Grade Potions”, Kempo believes a crack at hip hop will broaden his horizons.
“It was mine and my team’s idea to try something really new and take a risk of dropping under the hip hop genre. Oftentimes, we overthink every release but this time I wanted to take a huge risk just by not thinking too much and it was one of my best steps because the song is well-received and did better than most of my releases over the years,” he said.
Kempo is from Montego Bay which has the hottest dancehall scene in Jamaica, with acts like Tommy Lee Sparta, Teejay and Chronic Law. Some of those artists have grabbed headlines with outrageous lifestyle and songs, similar to their hip hop counterparts in the United States.
Not as flamboyant, Kempo is a big fan of hip hop.
“Some of my favorite acts in the hip hop genre are the late Biggie Smalls. His music has really resonated with me due to the fact that his message expressed so much truth as it regards to the everyday life of a trying man who managed to reach stardom and then became a victim of that very same stardom. There is so much to learn from his life as well as his music,” Kempo reasoned.
“Kendrick Lamar is another artist who I pay keen attention to as well because he does live an exemplary life and his music keeps getting better with each release.”
Written By Howard Campbell