2.24.2023

Video: Kenzo Balla – “Opp Huntin“

The New York Native Riser Unloads on the Opposition as He Prepares to Release a New EP

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 Song:

With his cold, calculated approach and his rapid-fire flow, Kenzo Balla is an apex predator behind the mic. Returning to put his enemies on notice, the Bronx native shares his latest spine-chilling video single, “Opp Huntin’.” Backed by an eerie instrumental that flips a children’s choir sample into a booming drill beat, Kenzo lets the opposition know he’s running up the score until the mercy rule goes into effect: “N****s keep dissing and making these tracks/But they never put on, that’s a fact.”

The video for “Opp Huntin’” brings viewers into Kenzo’s world, where his clique of black-clad, masked up menaces follow his every move, waiting for him to call the shots. The video single arrives ahead of Kenzo’s upcoming EP, and follows December’s Mr. Ready to Blitz (Deluxe). Recently, Kenzo shared a pair of smooth-talking singles including “What’s The Move” and “Wonderful,” from his On The Radar freestyle, featuring frequent collaborator Rayy Balla on all platforms.

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 Crippy, Kenzo kicked off his career with a frenzy of fiery videos, including local hits like “5th To Sev” ft. TG Crippy & Pdot Sav (2.1 million video views), “OOTAZ,” and the “Love Nwantiti”-remixing “Let Me Know” (2 million views). This summer, the former AAU baller tore up the streets with “Dead Gzz,” a vicious, uptempo missive that racked up over 1.6 million video views since its release in June.

Now signed to 10K Projects, Kenzo Balla emerges from his perch in the Bronx to blitz the rap game. Sit back and watch his rise, because there’s no stopping it.

Watch “Opp Huntin'”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiFVRFKs-v8

Stream “Opp Huntin'”: https://kenzoballa.lnk.to/opphuntin

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”.