Artist Spotlight: Kente Kwame
Multidisciplinary-artist Kente Kwame talks to The Pit LDN about his latest single, ‘The People Don’t Wait’; how his photography creatively intersects with his music and the hopes for his arthouse Kente Club.
Emily: What was the inspiration for your latest singles, ‘The People Don’t Wait’ and ‘God Ain’t Your Bredrin’?
Kente Kwame: ‘The People Don’t Wait’ was inspired by my return back to Ghana after nine years and how I had to adjust back into a familiar, yet different lifestyle and pace. For me, this song had so much meaning just because my perspective of what Ghana is from growing up there and the positive difference in many areas was amazing to me, so the song (The People Don’t Wait) was a celebration.
On the other hand, ‘God Ain’t Your Bredrin’, was highlighting a life I lived before and certain realities I had to face. This song was a therapeutic process as I had to revisit things I buried for a long time and being able to release it was a massive weight off my shoulders, hence the chant “Lemme Pour One…” to say that it happened, I survived and I strive on.
What was the creative process for your 2019 project, ‘With You In Mind’?
Being that I produce all my songs for projects so far, I usually start trying to build a sound around an idea, which eventually fleshes out into a project. I usually create in a way to tell a story and in this case, I wanted to create a story that had a tragic beginning and end with themes of love. I think I’m obsessed with love and the numerous ways that can be displayed.
As an artist who spans many different sounds, feelings and genres, what inspires you and how easy do you find it to remain versatile in your sound?
I am mostly inspired by everyday life and the simplicities of it, but in terms of genres, I’m inspired by Afrobeat, Jazz, Hip Hop, Classical and Gospel. I think in terms of versatility it would come down to just experimenting with different sounds and approaches. Being that I’m not restricted by a fanbase it allows me to play with sounds. I like so much music that I feel like I want to make all the genres of music I enjoy in a sense.
What were the main themes behind your EP, ‘Be Kind’?
’Be Kind’ was an attempt to stop me from overthinking the process at a time where I felt like I had something to prove. So in essence, it was a wake-up call to be kind to myself. This was a fun project just because I wasn’t overthinking and was honestly having fun and experimenting with sound.
How was working with Stay Cool for their debut, ‘Altogether’ and how was featuring in on a track with Jerome Thomas?
I was honoured to find out I was featured on there, both K the Infinite and Jerome are talented individuals.
What was the inspiration for, ‘All For Nought’?
’All For Nought’, was my first project and the inspiration of the project was an obsession. At the time there was a recurring incident that always brought up the idea of obsession, songs like ‘Fan Club’ which talks about a situation in a relationship and the limit of support to songs like ‘Down’, which deal with how much a person sacrifices in a situation all touch on the theme of Obsession.
What inspired you to start Kente Club and what is the aim for the arthouse?
Kente Club being my brainchild has evolved along with me into many forms. The whole aim of Kente Club is to serve as a bridge between creators and the audience in an authentic way, in essence trying to make the gap between them smaller, as well as serve as a way for creative’s to meet like-minded people to create without going through the thousand step process. Our aim in one simple phrase would be; To Connect People.
How do you feel your background in photography can intersect into your music?
I feel like I’m titillating on the edge of a complete synergy between photography and the music, of course with my most recent single (The People Don’t Wait), I released a photo book that accompanies the song. I believe in giving the listener a packaged experience and I feel like those who listened and got the book can attest to that experience being unique.
How has your sound grown from your first project to your new singles?
That would be hard to quantify, just because I feel like it’s a journey of which my life is being partially narrated. But as it stands, I’m in a good place and I believe it reflects in my music.
Which artists are inspiring your current/future sound?
I would say just being able to allow the music to organically evolve through living life as well as being humble enough to study the art form by going back and learning from the greats. Finally, not being afraid to experiment with things out of your comfort zone.
If you had to recommend five artists, who would you pick?
Kway who just recently released a single called ‘B.I.M.T’, Monét who’s also featured on the Kente Club single ‘Lay Back', Kwoli Black, DNZO and Davecreates.
What’s coming up for 2020?
I haven’t committed completely to making an album, but I am working on a lot of collaborations and hopefully will drop some new tracks as the year goes on. Also, I’ve got a lot of cool things in store in terms of Kente Club.