Brooklyn multi-disciplinarian Kota the Friend consistently delivers some of the most beautifully constructed rap sounds to come out of the USA. ‘Dear Fear’ is prime proof, with its luxurious instrumentation and intelligent lyricism.
“A lot of my songs focus on a feeling of nostalgia for when I was a kid in the suburbs. As the years go by I wonder if that nostalgia is just a natural part of growing up and resisting adulthood, or if the world we innocently believed in back then was really a lie that has completely fallen apart. I tried to capture that feeling of ambivalence in this song.”
“I was really excited to have Kota the Friend and Lil Keed both contribute verses as well. Having started out as a classical composer, I got into producing and singing after being inspired by Kanye West. One of my favorite things about him was how he curates a wide variety of sounds and perspectives to create an eclectic whole, and I’ve tried to apply that to my own music, including here.” – Johan Lenox
