"I TRIED TO TELL YOU" By Kp SkyWalka

KP is a DJ, producer, and rapper from the DMV whose punchy, breathless, and unpredictable delivery pushes the boundaries of modern drill while drawing deeply from the Black soul music tradition. His project I Tried to Tell You weaves fragmented memories, family history, and ambition into a genre-blurring narrative that reflects life in and beyond the Beltway with raw urgency and emotional depth.(Rap)

"Start off with 'Hell or Not', the penultimate track from I Tried to Tell You, the lyrics are as follows. It appears KP is sitting in the backseat of his mother's sedan while taking a trip down memory lane, using some of the 90's R&B music of his childhood as background. that During this trip down memory lane, KP asks his little homie if he is 'ready to war up', makes ambient sounds at the completion of an artist boasting about 'guns that he never shot', and becomes sad about 'it was just noodles and spam'. These quasi-apocalyptic pictures of the Beltway landscape and memories of the Beltway landscape drip out of KP in a sped-up, possessed drill-related fit. You can tell that due to distance, these moments may appear closer to him than they actually are.

Since the past year, KP has established the style of punchy, breathless, randomized raps that describe how to rap within the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia) drill style and has pushed the limits for the drill sub-genre through both '4 Tha Freakas' and the soon-to-be-released 'Rhythm N Bip'." I Tried to Tell You is an exciting venture that causes the DJ/Producer ‘KP’ to navigate through various genres of music while narrating about his life and experiences within the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia) rap scene. This record allows KP's story to flow freely without being confined by any regional rap conventions, such as beats with a go-go influence, weaving together themes of family, love, hustle, and ambition into a soundscape inspired by the sub-genres of the Black Soul Music Tradition.

Through the use of 20 songs, this project provides KP ample opportunity to wander through the various musical movements while also giving him ample opportunities for personal reflection and growth. By working with Turn Me Up Pro, Yoyotheproducer, and Tavaras Jordan to select beats, there are different styles of music and influences present on this album. As evidence, consider KP singing along to the warped sound of the H-Town sample on the first song "Industry" while riding to the Wizards game, and then choosing an Anita Baker record to use for his smooth, plugg-infused track with 10kdunkin titled "Nuntoloose." Similarly, there is a strong connection to the go-go music tradition of Washington, D.C. seen in the way the drums kick beneath the funky, Wayne Shorter-esque saxophone sample on the track "VPN," while KP's flow extends beyond the traditional verse/chorus pattern, exercising his abilities to create an experience through rhythm. The variety of beats on this project also provide KP an opportunity to explore multiple sounds: from angelic choirs to deep, gritty beats and transitional sections.

KP’s clever references and wordplay often surface beneath the aggressive, monotonous drill-flow that has become prominent in DMV-style street rap. KP has a distinct style that was shaped by the slow-crawl storytelling of the Southern music he listened to while growing up, and the way he develops his own world on I Tried to Tell You mirrors the levels of dedication that Pimp C took in making his autobiographical book, "The Sweet James Jones Stories." Some of that development might include KP and his cousin blazing through red lights on the Jewel and yelling at one another to blast the deli while muttering, “Scared Like Steele,” or how the two of them busted all the way to the Northeast Corridor and then turned around and sped all the way back down before sunrise ("Latenight"). He throws the word “bip” at least 100 ways and all over the place, like a chef on an Instagram page with chopped parsley. Some of the things KP talks about may sound like everyday routine (“I’m blown up, stuck in a war zone/Fuck are the bros on, let’s get on Warzone") or sound really morbid and mundane (“I can talk about murder in music"), because he has killed people in real life.” Although he has retained the core elements of his dialect, he continues to use different words and phrases that all serve to keep the listener engaged in his music.

Mason Morgan