Artist Watch: Krept and Konan

Photo: croydonadvertiser.co.uk

2013 was undoubtedly a year of unprecedented success for the South London artists Krept and Konan. The duo gained mainstream hip hop prominence in September, as they released their debut album Young Kingz. Despite its very limited promotion and Krept and Konan’s unsigned status at the time, the album was both an artistic and a commercial success, impressing critics and reaching the top of the Hip Hop Album Charts. The duo’s success didn’t go unnoticed, and within a month of the album’s release the duo won the MOBO Best Newcomer award, ahead of other prominent artists such as Fuse ODG and Sam Smith.

Krept and Konan’s success can be seen partially as a result of the strong connection they have with their fans; the duo chatted at length and took photos with their fans at the official after party for their concert in December. On a personal level, I too have experienced their level of interaction with their fans: after posting a photo on Instagram of the pair singing their concert, both took the time to ‘like’ it. Although seemingly minor, it’s small actions like these that cement firm bonds between artists and fans.

Their most impressive talent is the variety in musical style they display. The duo have proved they can produce hype ego songs such as ‘Young and Reckless’, which features distinctive beats and braggadocio lyrics that wouldn’t be out of place in a Rick Ross album. Their outstanding lyrical content can also leave lasting impressions on listeners. One such song is ‘My Story’, which tackles the heart-wrenching account of the murder of Konan’s step-father Carlton Ned, who died attempting to protect his wife.

The man in front of me, who had been attempting to start a mosh pit only five minutes ago, was now frozen in a devastated stance with his hands clasped to his face.”

At the Young Kingz concert, ‘My Story’ was played after a series of hype songs. Despite my expectation that such a contrast would be jarring, the transition from hype to the emotional was seamless, and as soon as the duo started the narrative the once-raucous audience turned silent. The emotion emanated by Konan reverberated through every single person in the crowd: the man in front of me, who had been attempting to start a mosh pit only five minutes ago, was now frozen in a devastated stance with his hands clasped to his face. Only the best performers can affect such a complete change in atmosphere within such a short period of time. The chasm of emotion provided by the duo was a testament to their talent, and after ‘My Story’ Krept and Konan once again switched around the atmosphere entirely.

Another important part of Krept and Konan’s personas is their idiosyncratic sense of humour: this is best exhibited in ‘Otis’, in which the duo mock both Jay-Z and themselves by accusing one another of having the rapper’s lips while showing off a series of crazy punch lines (when listening, watch out for the ones involving Blackberries). Their wit is still present in concert, and on stage the duo incorporated a Deal or No Deal-style phone, which would ring every time a special guest came on. With names that night including Sneakbo, Chip, Wretch 32 and Misha B (to name a few), one can imagine how many times the phone rang, much to the delight of the audience.

After starting 2014 off by being featured on French Montana’s Coke Boys 4 mixtape in a cover of their hit ‘Don’t Waste My Time’, I’m excited to see what the rest of the year holds for them. French Montana’s cover could introduce a whole new demographic to Krept and Konan’s music, and thus one can only predict more success in the foreseeable future for the vibrant duo.

For more information on Krept and Konan, check out their Facebook page.