5.22.2023
Video: Kenzo Balla – “In My Moods” (Prod. by Kenuthia)
The Ready-To-Blitz Bronx Driller Works Through a Relationship in His Luscious New Single
Critical Praise
“…few songs feel as dutifully assembled as ‘Krash Out.’ As the sample gradually uncoils, Kenzo slashes right through the center. A weird phenomenon seems to happen, the rap equivalent of bullet time, where the listener gets an enhanced perception of the rapper’s speed relative to the world around him.” – NPR
“Kenzo Balla is yet another emerging voice out of New York City’s drill scene right now.” – Billboard
“Kenzo’s energy is magnetic” – COMPLEX
“Kenzo Balla’s commanding voice makes the new [“Let Me Know”] single an immediate standout.” – Audiomack
“Kenzo Balla is stepping into the game with sky high ambitions and a pen to match.” – IMPRINT
The Audio:
Kenzo Balla is known for his full-throated aggression, but the Bronx native is equally effective when he takes it slow. Baring his soul and demanding honesty in return, Kenzo shares “In My Moods,” an immersive and ethereal drill love song. Produced by Kuthania, “In My Moods” combines a lush R&B sample with the syncopated hi-hats and sliding 808s characteristic of Kenzo’s home borough’s drill scene. Applying the same emotional intensity to this ballad as his blitz-heavy bangers, Kenzo directly confronts the object of his intentions, as he uncharacteristically wearing his heart on sleeve: “Like what, where you going?/Like I thought that you was here to stay?/How you leave a n**** alone in the rain?/Left me alone to deal with all this pain.” In the video, Kenzo walks alongside the Hudson River in a vintage Hellstar hoodie as he spits his emotional rhymes.
Following the recent video for “Enough Is Enough,” “In My Moods” is the latest new song to emerge in the wake of The Year Of The Balla, Kenzo’s high-powered EP. Home to songs like the unrelenting “Opp Huntin’” (1.8 million views), the soulful “What’s The Move,” and the TG Crippy and Rayy Balla-featuring “Unfinished Business,” The Year Of The Balla is the Bronx rapper’s most expansive effort to date, incorporating new elements while remaining rooted in the East Coast drill sound. The Year Of The Balla is available everywhere via 10k Projects,
A rising name in one of the nation’s busiest rap scenes, Kenzo Balla made his mark on the scene with his relentless rhymes and high-energy vocals. Known for collaborating with fellow Bronx heavyweights like his brother TG Flockaa, Kenzo kicked off his career with a frenzy of fiery videos, including local hits like “5th To Sev” ft. TG Flockaa & Pdot Sav (2.2 million video views), “OOTAZ,” and the “Love Nwantiti”-remixing “Let Me Know” (2.1 million views). This summer, the former AAU baller tore up the streets with “Dead Gzz,” a vicious, uptempo missive that racked up over 1.8 million video views since its release in June 2022. Kenzo closed out 2022 in typically aggressive fashion with Mr. Ready to Blitz (Deluxe), home to the NPR-approved “Krash Out.”
Continuing to rise as his year progresses, stay tuned for much more from Kenzo Balla.
Watch “In My Moods”: https://youtu.be/mfxccNzN5CE
Stream “In My Moods”: https://kenzoballa.lnk.to/InMyMoods
Please contact Michelle or T’Keyah for more info.
The Background:
Kenzo Balla evokes both the ecstasy and the peril of New York street rap. The Bronx artist serves up chilly bars over hammering drill beats for stylish, yet raw anthems that are drawing the attention of the world by the day. Teaming with frequent collaborators TG Crippy (his brother) and Jay Da Chaser, he blends those elements on tracks like “OOTAZ,” which drips with adrenaline and confrontation. While the track and others like it evoke unsettling force, they’ve also become the soundtrack of functions across the East Coast, and Kenzo wouldn’t have it any other way. Growing up in the BX, everyone knew each other and attended the same parties, but as he became a teenager, the drama escalated. Kenzo realized he’d have to change his lifestyle to survive. He’d spent much of his early years freestyling with friends, so he decided to record his first songs in 2018. After catching attention with melodic tracks like “Backends,” each new release earned more streams than the last. In September 2021, he unloaded “5th to the Sev,” an anthem for his neighborhood that garnered 1 million YouTube views. By 2022, he’d signed a deal with 10K Projects, alongside Crippy. With a growing fan base and an evolving sound in the works for a new project, Kenzo recognizes the potential of the moment he’s having now. On a grander level, he wants to rep the neighborhood that raised him. “I’m making music for me, my brother, my block, for the Bronx, and the whole city,” he says. “The Bronx is just me”.
Links:
instagram | spotify | apple music | youtube | tiktok
“In My Moods”: https://kenzoballa.lnk.to/InMyMoods / https://youtu.be/mfxccNzN5CE
“Enough Is Enough” ft. Rayy Balla & Cito Blick: https://kenzoballa.lnk.to/EnoughIsEnough / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI08-pTvUO8
The Year Of The Balla: https://kenzoballa.lnk.to/TheYearOfTheBalla
“Kan’t Lack”: https://kenzoballa.lnk.to/kantlack
“Unfinished Business” ft. TG Crippy & Rayy Balla: https://kenzoballa.lnk.to/UnfinishedBusiness / https://youtu.be/Cxmf14zLICE
“Opp Huntin'”: https://kenzoballa.lnk.to/opphuntin / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiFVRFKs-v8
“What’s The Move”: https://kenzoballa.lnk.
Wonderful [OTR Freestyle]” ft. Rayy Balla: https://kenzoballa.lnk.to/wonderful
Mr. Ready To Blitz (Deluxe): https://kenzoballa.lnk.to/readytoblitz-deluxe
“PSA” ft. Kyle Richh: https://youtu.be/fwyVMdYmDyw
“No Sympathy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ9fJithyKg
Mr. Ready To Blitz: https://kenzoballa.lnk.to/mrreadytoblitz
“SMMBF” ft. Nas EBK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YejXmE6gni0
“Krash Out”: https://kenzoballa.lnk.to/krashout / https://youtu.be/ZiVuC9pnQJk
“Don’t Panic” ft. Cito Blick & Pdot Sav: https://kenzoballa.lnk.to/dontpanic / https://youtu.be/eAKju7ALGPk
“Dead Gzz”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-i6u70lSpY
“Let Me Know”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn0jGNT_QV8
“5th To Sav”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY2tBWgA81U