From the streets of Tembisa in the East Rand to the spotlight-coloured stage of fame comes the story of South African hip-hop artist Kane Keid. Having recently released an extended play titled Not Famous, accompanied by tracks such as “Trouble Again” as well as “Rare” and “Hurt Myself”, Keid’s latest offering is a tug-o-war between the artist pushing music and the man behind the art doing his best to retain the true nature of who he is.
With the gain of fame often comes the unwitting loss of self, the byproduct of shedding one’s true skin and pouring much of one’s soul into the mould sold to the masses. Art and life, at such a precarious juncture, become two extremes that call for balance. Kane Keid spoke about his extended play, Not Famous, and how the creative process behind the project was inspired by him trying to find his feet amid his rise in the industry.
Kane Keid | SUPPLIED
“The EP is my way of letting people into my world. It’s a project I created at different points in my career, from when I was starting out till this year. The creative space I was in while making Not Famous was me trying to find a way to present myself to the people without the whole thing feeling fabricated because the industry can be so performative. And a lot of the times people don’t speak about authenticity and real-life issues and about their true selves. So, my headspace, while making this EP, was about finding my feet in this newly-found space where I’m now being introduced to so many people at a quick rate,” he said.
The drop of Not Famous trailed the herald of “Trouble Again,” the EP’s lead single alongside “Cheque” hitmaker Usimamane. With a visualiser and a music video for the joint out already in a space of two weeks, Kane Keid detailed the conception of the song and his relationship with his Durban colleague.
“Getting in studio with Usimamane was real, man; I have respect for him in the same way he has respect for me. Everything was authentic, including the energy. Nothing about the song was fabricated or coordinated – everything was based off energy. It somehow made sense for him to be on the song and having this track go out as the lead single to put my foot in the game and to announce that I am here to stay,” said Keid.
Watch “Trouble Again”:
A fresher in the game who is anything but new to the craft, Kane Keid expressed satisfaction with the current state of Mzansi hip-hop while sharing his two cents about the importance of young blood in the life cycle of one of the country’s once-dominant genres.
“I believe that South African hip-hop is in a great space, you know. With these new faces that we have in the game, it’s giving us hope. Hope for a favourable future for hip-hop, compared to where it has been for the past few years. This is not to say that it has been dead or that it has been in a terrible place. It’s just not been receiving a lot of new faces, and it has not been getting regularly rejuvenated. So, we need new energy. And whenever I see new artists coming in, it excites me,” he said.
The rapper shared his insight on his evolution and how the lessons learned along the way have helped him chisel his art while shaping him into a musical cosmopolite able to see things from multiple stratospheres of creativity.
“Over the years, I’ve learned to let myself relax and to stop overthinking. To stop overcompensating for areas where I lack. I’ve grown to allow myself room for improvement. Musically, I’m not scared to fail. I’m not scared to receive criticism. I’m no longer scared of other perspectives, and I’ve stopped having a unilateral view when it comes to the music. I can now look at things from different angles. And I think that all came with me growing in confidence when it comes to my artistry,” he said.
Check out a preview of Not Famous:
