Get to Know Kofi [Interview]
Toronto native, Kofi, just released his long-awaited album, Why Not?, and it showcases everything Kofi is capable of and his progression as an artist. With sharp vocals, hard-hitting lyricism, and fantastic production, he proves he can do everything. Get to know more about Kofi below:
You just released your project, Why Not? How does it feel to have that out, and how do you feel about the reception so far?
I’ve been waiting to get this out for like three years. It’s hard for artists to hold music because stuff I was going through then is dated to me. The reception has been great so I’m happy about that.
What did you want your fans to get from the project?
I honestly wanted to explore different areas musically. How it turned out since there was a long period of time between when it was made and when it was released is that there are songs that are three years old and a couple of months old. I think it’s really cool for my fans to see the progression.
“Haunt Me” took off and is your biggest song this year. How do you feel about that track doing numbers?
I’m so happy about the reception of that song. I think that song is about something everyone can relate to, which is having memories with someone, and when the relationship goes sour, all of the memories do too, and they can turn into nightmares.
With some songs on the project being three years old, what is the biggest thing you learned about yourself or your music in that time?
I used to do stuff that I felt like people wanted to hear instead of making music I wanted. I’ve just been making stuff that I want.
What was the pivotal moment where you wanted to make something for you?
It was actually a couple of months before I made “On Me.” It was right after the trip I made “Haunt Me” on.
Going to the beginning, what got you into making music in the first place?
I was always into music. It was more classical. I was playing trombone in the band and writing scores on the side. When I got to high school it felt like everyone wanted to be a rapper, so you could make money being a producer. So I started producing and engineering. From there, I got into rapping myself.
Growing up in Toronto, it obviously has a huge music scene. Did that have any influence on you at all?
Yeah, the Toronto music scene is crazy. Some of my first bigger clients that I would produce or engineer for were from Toronto. I got to learn my early steps of the game through them.
What was the biggest thing you learned?
That you’re never done learning. I’m out here learning every day figuring out more about this crazy industry.
How much did producing and mixing kind of help you as an artist?
It’s a blessing because I’ll see a song as a painting. If a song was a painting, I wouldn’t want to hire someone to do certain parts of the painting, I’d want to do the painting myself. Being able to do that, making the song how you want to, producing it how you want to, and writing it and singing it how you want to is a more true version of what you’re trying to do.
What are some dream collaborations in the near future?
Being from Toronto, it has to be Drake, The Weeknd, and Tory Lanez.
Where will Kofi be in the future?
A lot more music. I’ve been trying to release more music. There will definitely be a lot more.
