The Chicago-based hip-hop artist, songwriter, and rapper theletterJ teams up with Kai. L for their latest heavy-hitting single, "Sometimes (feat. Kai. L)."
Beginning his rap career in September of 2020, theletterJ also lives in a house of creatives who work to produce content, music videos, and quality music. Not to mention the gifted lyrical and sonic stylings of Kai. L, who also began his solo career in September of 2020, the two artists are eager to continue collaborating to offer a new and refreshing sound to the contemporary hip-hop scene.
Now releasing their heavy and alluring single, "Sometimes (feat. Kai. L)," listeners are able to experience a powerful lyrical theme while grooving along with the song's downtempo sonics. As theletterJ takes us through a reflective listening experience through his conceptual bars, Kai. L closes the song with nothing but heat and power.
Jumping into "Sometimes (feat. Kai. L)," the track opens with the sounds of a cassette rolling into its player that quickly transitions into a melodic synth arrangement that's slightly filtered. As theletterJ makes his dominant vocal appearance, he's met with an intricate drum arrangement that pushes through our speakers with incredible strength and rhythm. As we listen to theletterJ's bars, he brings us into life's peaks and valleys while reflecting on the many feelings that come with it.
As Kai. L joins the party around the last thirty seconds; he offers a clean transition while jumping into his bars that touch on a similar theme of feeling down and out one day then back in the game the next. A short track but an effective one at that, we admire theletterJ and Kai. L's powerful delivery gets us bopping our heads.
Get down with theletterJ's latest hit, "Sometimes (feat. Kai. L)," now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzzMusic, theletterJ. We love the honest and hard-hitting vibe you've delivered within your recent single, "Sometimes (feat. Kai. L)." What inspired you to write a song based on your dynamic emotions and feelings?
The inspiration for this track was heavily influenced by my perspective as a young black man in America. It was honestly the buildup from a series of moments and conversations with my crew, as I was slowly becoming more aware of how men, and black men especially, tend to disregard mental health. So this song kind of serves as a voice for black men who truly feel like sometimes it's them versus the world.
What was your collaborative experience with Kai. L for "Sometimes (feat. Kai. L)?" How did you work off each other to reach your end goal?
I knew that if there was anybody who deserved a spot as a feature, it had to be Kai. L. Kai. L & I met in high school and instantly became a duo. So, six years later, as his brother, I've witnessed him deal with ADHD, as well as a speech disorder, but I've also seen his confidence and his perfection with his speech through his music. That spot on Sometimes was meant for him since I first laid that chorus down! With Kai. L's debut, The Yellow Project coming out this year, I knew he was hungry and in that mode where he's constantly delivering good verses and sounds. I think we had a good blend in terms of lyricism, and he came through with this hard verse, which inspired us to make the song short as if me & him sort of just finished a therapy session early. This same concept led us to the direction behind the music video, which is literally a therapy session and an outdoor alcoholic's anonymous meeting. This song was meant for us.
Who produced the dark and heavy sonics for "Sometimes (feat. Kai. L)?" What kind of sonic atmosphere or vibe did you want the production to offer?
The legend behind Sometimes is YouTube producer MidKnight Mugen. The beat by itself almost feels as if I'm vibing on a spaceship, with the futuristic sounds and sonics. I really wanted the track to sound like you were almost transported to a world with theletterJ and Kai. L, which the producer definitely delivered on. For the added effect of this therapy session and concept, I threw in the tape recorder to start and finish the song for a cohesive story.
Could you tell us more about your house full of creatives? Do you plan to collaborate with them on future releases?
I live with a house full of the most creative young men in the game, officially known as the one and only Lituation. There are six of us in total, including Kai. L, and other than him, we all met in college. It's crazy how far we've strayed to get into the music industry. We began as freelance app developers and our niche was basically pitch competitions, where we pitch good ideas and solutions coupled with mobile apps. We made a lot of money from that and got into our creative bag, which allowed us to actually move from our homes to Tallahassee, FL. Everyone in my clique makes music, and in some way shape or form have already collaborated with each other. Fargo$ just dropped the single Booker, which features me, and me & Kai. L has released two collaborative EPs since last September. Our goal is to actually drop a full Lituation tape composed with nothing but our chemistry, lyricism, and versatile beats. I think we'll be a good competition for Revenge Of The Dreamers III.
What's your favorite release of this year, from an independent artist you admire?
The award goes to Garciar hands down, with his project Darkskin. This was a great project, from original concept and storytelling, to combining both bars and vocal melodies. That boy Garciar is definitely valid, and I hope to even collab with him before the year's over.
