The beginning of May 2017 marked the debut single release from emerging Toronto duo KMPNY (pronounced “company”).
The rapper-producer duo of Czech Royalty and Justin Alexis teamed up with buzzing Atlanta artist 24Hrs to release their first ever single release, “On Road.”
The track is an emotive, downtempo anthem laced with 808s and heavy, dark vibes. The track serves as commentary on fake love; a salute to those who have been “on road” since day one, and a shot fired at all the fake friends who just want to hop on the wave.
Czech Royalty and Justin Alexis of KMPNY
HipHopCanada was fortunate enough to catch up with KMPNY this week for their first ever on-the-record interview as a duo. We discussed the formation of KMPNY, the guys’ work process, fake love, the irrelevance of genre, and more.
Since the KMPNY mission statement is so deeply rooted in unity (“two is better than one“), the guys have requested this interview be published as an interview with KMPNY (as one whole unit) as opposed to an interview with separate input from Czech and Justin. See how it all went down below.
“We constantly bring new ideas to the table and we come to conclusions together, with each other’s company. You could go so far as to say that we’re on the same frequency.” – KMPNY
Q&A: KMPNY
HipHopCanada: Start off by telling me the story behind how the two of you first met, and how you wound up forming KMPNY.
KMPNY: New Years time – two years ago – we connected for a separate track as producer and musician, and after seeing the results of it, we definitely knew we had something special. From there on out with a little time gap, it’s just been plotting on the right moment to roll out our plan. As KMPNY, it has only been a matter of months that we’ve pinned ourselves down under the moniker.
HipHopCanada: What are each of your respective backgrounds within the music scene?
KMPNY: As a duo, we’re composed of a producer, as well as a vocalist. The producer one of us comes from an EDM background (production-wise), and has been a DJ for over 10 years. He definitely knows what sounds to keep his ear to, and what listeners love currently. The vocalist comes from a hip-hop background [and] has been releasing music for the past few years.
HipHopCanada: Tell me the story behind the name KMPNY.
KMPNY: Long-term, no one likes being alone. So our motto has always been “2 is better than 1.” Having company around means existing in a state with someone else (or many others) in a way that provides the opportunity for friendship and just positive vibes. This is why KMPNY is the result of two musicians who’ve joined forces to create timeless masterpieces that set a soothing, mysterious, and rhythmic vibe. As we release more music, you’ll see what we already believe: our music brings people together in a special way.
HipHopCanada: Walk me through your artistic process as a duo. How did “On Road” get made, from start to finish?
KMPNY: Our inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere. So typically we start with some sort of rough beat or melody and work from there. In regards to “On Road,” the beat was [made] first. And once we had that, we decided to lay down some core vocals. When we were satisfied with it, we proceeded to send the reference over to 24Hrs. When we got the reference back we worked on several versions, ultimately ending up with what you hear today.
HipHopCanada: “On Road” was a track directed at all the people (and females) in your lives who haven’t been “on road” with you two from jump. For each of you, was there any particular event or person or series of events that inspired this song?
KMPNY: The KMPNY brand involves an upside-down rose, which can be found on the “On Road” artwork. And the general meaning behind it relates to the song. The rose signifies misguided love. For us it’s the fake love that we’ve felt from our surroundings. To get to where we are now as a duo with a single featuring a great artist. “On Road” has taken a lot of work and energy. So when we finally released it, we could definitely identify who has been here for us all along, and who hasn’t.
HipHopCanada: For each of you, how would you describe each other’s musicality? And what elements does the other person bring to the dynamic of your duo?
KMPNY: Creatively speaking, we bring the best out of each other. Everything that we do compliments what the other can’t. We constantly bring new ideas to the table and we come to conclusions together, with each other’s company. You could go so far as to say that we’re on the same frequency. So far, we haven’t limited our sound to a specific genre like hip-hop or R&B. So future releases will demonstrate our versatility.
HipHopCanada: Tell me the story behind how you wound up collaborating with 24Hrs for “On Road.”
KMPNY: We have a relationship with the management of Private Club Records (management of MADEINTYO, Salma Slims), and have known 24Hrs back when he was Royce Rizzy (before his 24Hrs rebrand). We featured him on the track as it definitely wasn’t something [that] new listeners would expect from two local Toronto musicians. So we wanted to bring an element of surprise with our company.
HipHopCanada: Talk to me about why you opted to release “On Road” as your debut single. It’s an interesting debut choice because of the feature… you made your introduction to the world in association with another artist who’s already established.
KMPNY: It’s funny, right? We’re simply two artists who came together to rebrand and release our first single with another artist, who also rebranded himself in the past few months to get to where he is currently. We featured him on the single as we like to think that the track itself will be an embodiment of a statement. What is the statement? Well it’s simple… KMPNY is a force that must be watched closely in the competitive music scene as we have tons of surprises rolling out in the next couple months. This is only the beginning for KMPNY, and we urge you to join us in companionship.
Interview conducted by Sarah Jay for HipHopCanada
