Kenny Mason is off the leash, rapping miles ahead of his peers on his new 3-track EP “Pup Pack.”
Amid his work with JID on The Forever Story’s “Dance Now,” Mason quickly turned around with music of his own on Wednesday (Aug. 17) — dropping off a trio of “ideas” for fans to sit with ahead of his next album.
The Atlanta rapper has been without a full-length project since releasing the Supercut deluxe to his 2020 debut album Angelic Hoodrat last year. However, that drought looks to end this month, as Kenny alluded to an upcoming project dropping in September. Quenching the thirst of fans dying for new music, Mason sounds hungrier than ever on “Pup Pack” — ultimately soaring to new heights stemming from his feature on Dreamville’s mega-hit “Stick.”
Dropping off the grunge-infused “Halloween” and “Dip!” featuring DavidTheTragic, Mason’s “Get An Idea” is the strongest “dog” of the pack. Donning a red-and-white New Jersey Devils hockey sweater, Mason appears in a hybrid DIY warehouse-studio with a USB-clad mic in his hand. The track, which boasts hypnotic strings and hard-hitting lo-fi snares, sees him tear off an emotionally potent verse that reasserts his stake as one of hip-hop’s fastest-rising, versatile emcees.
“Roll with the punches like I’m rolling weed in this bitch / I bob and weave in this bitch / my eyes bleed if I switch / if I don’t feed in the negative I won’t eat in this bitch,” Kenny spits with his trademark flow, as the track is bolstered by Grammy-winning producer DJ Khalil and visual director JMP — who has notably worked with SoFaygo, Pusha T, TyFontaine, Destroy Lonely and more this year. His narrative quips about the power and influence of how his upbringing has cascaded into his adulthood, Kenny pulls back the curtain with blazing perspectives on mental health, fame, the music and all the ideas that run through his mind.
“Thinkin’ ’bout quittin’ at times, it seem like a pretty idea
Thinkin’ about freein’ my mind from thinkin’ of any ideas
Then think about people that might have a similar idea
Then I see that ego ain’t been bringin’ me any ideas
Then think the times that my singing ideas was they only reason they live
Make me rethink an idea
Got a new perspective when I seen all the people I hear”
Kenny Mason — “Get An Idea”
“Halloween” is another triumph for Mason, opting for an airy, guttural cadence over rock-infused production and booming 808s. “This year for Halloween, I know just what I’mma be / High and free,” Kenny croons with infectious vocal stacks, as “Dip!” proves to be the polar opposite of both aforementioned tracks. With a droning video-game lead, the simplistic alt-pluggnb beat allows Kenny enough room to both sing and rap with ease.
Prior to “Pup Pack,” he shared a YouTube exclusive track “Self” in June, which sees the rising superstar rapper reflect on the internal plights that engulfed his thoughts — all in pure waves of emotion following the Uvalde tragedy.
Additionally, the elusive 26-year-old has become well known for his signature sound — championing heavy metal guitars, airy vocal stacks and punk undertones all throughout his discography. This, though, is what makes his music more captivating than most — balancing somber introspective ballads and mosh-pitting bangers with a potency only he possesses.
If “Pup Pack” is just the start of Mason’s takeover, his next full-length record is sure to be a polished continuation of his scintillating soundscape.
Listen to “Pup Pack” below!
