Coming fresh off the release of his upbeat and well-received single, "Feelin' Good," the Los Angeles-based hip-hop artist and rapper Kunal returns to give thanks with a recent single, "Blessings."
Raised in New York, New Jersey, and London, Kunal was exposed to various cultures and music scenes that influenced his diverse taste. Taking influence from acts like Eminem, Kanye West, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and Bob Marley, Kunal has perfectly shaped his artistry to express and reflect his journey and life experience.
Dropping his latest hit, "Blessings," we hear Kunal do what he does best and blow us out of the water with dominant delivery and meaningful bars. As he raps over a heated and authoritative beat, Kunal comes forward to share his "Blessings" with each of us while giving thanks to the powers above for his many successes.
"Blessings" hauntingly opens with an orchestral string-section that drops into a punchy hip-hop beat. The beat gives us darker flairs of Metro Boomin with its natural eerie undertones and dominant approach. Listening to Kunal's performance, he stops us in our tracks with his powerful delivery while giving thanks for his many "Blessings."
What we love about Kunal's bars is that they're more than genuine; they're incredibly modest and humble, difficult traits to come by nowadays. We also hear him pay thanks to Allah, giving us a versatile and cultural flair that allows us to know more of Kunal and the person he is.
Catch Kunal's latest single, "Blessings," on all streaming platforms, and allow his exhilarating performance to inspire you to give thanks and stay humble.
Listen to "Blessings," here.
We highly appreciate such a humble and modest hip-hop piece like "Blessings." What inspired you to create a single that gives thanks?
First & foremost thank you for having me back, I am humbled! I function from a place of gratitude in all aspects of my life and I truly do feel blessed to be where I am today and for the journey here. Anyone who knows me knows that I dedicate time every single day to reflecting on how I have evolved as well as all the avenues for progress, so Blessings was a really natural piece for me to write.
Do you have a producer that creates the production and sonics for you, or did you reach out to someone different to help create your single "Blessings?"
This is my second track with De’la, the first being Feelin’ Good. He’s super talented & we have a great synergy in the studio, shout out to my guy Trevin AKA Truckee Street too, who played a huge role in the production as well. I always have the foundation of the sonics beforehand but De’la intuitively picks up on my vibe before I even articulate it. He leverages everything about my energy and the lyrics and takes the production to the next level. He really complements and elevates my sound. Making music with both De’la & Trevin is always a great experience.
Do you have a typical songwriting process or method that works best for you? How were you able to channel such grateful bars for your single "Blessings?"
My process is pretty relaxed but there’s definitely structure to my space. I like to have a clean environment and set a chill vibe for myself. The music is typically reflective of whatever is center stage in my life at that moment, or even sentiments that are just below the surface and I want to explore. At the end of the day, my music is the way I express myself and I’m not afraid of sharing that. Inevitably the composition, lyrics, and cadence harmonize to reflect those thoughts & emotions. ‘Blessings’ was no different. De’la encouraged me to tap deeper into my raw emotion and energy, starting with subtle conceptual changes to the depth of the sonics. The mood of the production elicited a different vibe for me, and I ended up composing a different song stylistically from what I initially had in mind.
Now that you have three powerful singles released, how do each of your singles stand out and contrast each other?
We are all very dynamic and multifaceted. Each song captures a different moment & a series of my thoughts when they were produced. I was able to explore different layers, sounds, and sides of myself with each single. In turn, all three reflect the range of my creative & personal expression and serve as a sampler for where I can go. While also, presenting a consistent identity of who I am as an artist. I feel lucky that I can express myself authentically and not be confined to one mood so to speak.
What message do you hope for listeners to take away from you and your music?
I truly feel humbled & blessed for all the love I have gotten! Whenever I have had the good fortune to connect with someone I have never met from places I’ve never been and be a source of validation, or when they tell me they feel heard and understood by my music, I treasure that deeply. Whether someone is driving or has their headphones on. When they are playing my music they are inviting me into their world and space in the most intimate way in my opinion. I find that really humbling. So aside from speaking my truth, I hope to always connect personally with my listeners and hope that we grow with each other throughout this journey.