(May 15, 2014–Miami, FL) Twenty-five-year-old emcee Emelike Nwosuocha a.k.a Kidd Wes is releasing the video for “Trying,” a track about a young man in America, “trying” to make his mother proud.
Wes’ debut album, Young World, is available this week and showcases a bright young talent who writes from the heart and has a natural penchant for story telling. The disc features a several other Florida acts such as like soul vocalist Jovie, Yung Trap of Real Boys, among others. Production on the album is shared by: DJ Crossphada, Dexter Johnson, Artthebeat, Mikey Beatz of A-Team.
Young World is a return to the most basic principles of hip-hop, the art of storytelling and lyricism with a backdrop of lush/boom bap productions. Wes doesn’t invent a new genre here, but what he does, he does better than most. The album’s first single, “Pause” is a typical braggadocio hip-hop cut, where Wes notifies listeners of the line between run-of-the-mill rappers and himself.
On other standouts, like “Memoirs of a Gold Chain,” Wes rhymes about his frustrations with past friends who fell short of the goal right at the finish line. “They know who they are,” he laughs. “Tell Me,” featuring Miami’s singer-song-writer Jovie, is a woeful duet that about love and heart break.
Born in Houston and raised in both Detroit and Miami, Kidd has spent time in many regions of the US—and the influences are clear in his music. His early days in Detroit taught him early on to “go hard or go home.” “If you had it, you showed it off”, he explains.
Of course, Eminem was taking the rap industry by storm when he was a kid, and Wes recalls fondly the days of battle raps when he would pop an Eminem CD into his stereo to warm up. But it was his father’s influence that made Kidd the man he is today. “When I was 5 years old, I lived in a shelter with my father while he went to law school,” and adds that the film “Pursuit of Happyness” was “his life story.” “When I hear people say they’re broke and they have roof over their heads,” Wes says, “I just look at them and think: You have no idea.”
In 2011, Kidd Wes released a mixtape “Kidd Wes-Its Only a Mixtape” and was featured onWeeklybillboard, and kssunews.com. In 2013, he performed A3C Festival. Young World,available May 13, 2014, is his debut LP.
For press inquiries, please contact Nicole Balin at 323-651-1580 or email atnicole@ballinpr.com.
