I’m late on this one, but Brooklyn artist KIU (pronounced like the cartoon) hit my line with his latest release, Becoming Legendary. The thing that grabbed me first is the grittiness of the production. The production is definitely varied. Songs like “Slumdog Millionaires Club” are a bit more lavish and “Plain Janes & Championship Rings” gives me Dipset vibes. That said, there’s a raw energy that’s missing from some projects these days.

The ruggedness of the beats allows for KIU to say his piece about his growth, his endeavors, and the state of his love (hip-hop). He does go into money talk a great deal, but it makes sense when you look at his backstory and motivation (he wants to inspire, but also educate the youth). It’s a pretty awesome album and one that serves as a great introduction to KIU if you’re unaware like I was.

Becoming Legendary is about staking a claim to a crowded throne everyone wants to sit on. KIU, on the project, does enough to make me take notice of his music and moves. He doesn’t play it safe by sticking with one type of song or production. That move allows for the project to breathe better than it could’ve and it showcases diversity in a world where artists get chastised for sticking to their guns all the time (sometimes, quite literally). Check out the project below and remember to support dope music in all its forms.