Premiere • Lukas G: "Quotez"
Lukas G and Ali hit my radar early as the Chicago duo New Kingz. The Kingz are still making music together, but recently both have focused their efforts on solo material. In fact, the new Noah Sims produced "Quotez" is Luke's first solo track in about a year. So we don't hear from these guys as often as others, but after a brief conversation with Luke, it's clear that's about to change.
If "Quotez" is your first time hearing Lukas G or New Kingz, the track strays a bit from the Kingz normal vibes, but with the assist from our friend Noah Sims and some booming drums, the guitar laden instrumental opens up new doors sonically for Lukas G. The new single is ambitious, and it sounds like there will be a lot of that in 2016. Learn more about the song and the future of Lukas G and the New Kingz in our brief interview below.
How new are the New Kingz? When did you and Ali first get together to make music?
Ali and I came together to make music our senior year in 2014 when we wrote and performed a freestyle to the OG Bobby Johnson instrumental for an art show. We’d both been rapping with different crews during high school but we came together to collab more frequently after our performance at the aforementioned event.
How does your music stand out from your peers?
Our music stands out because it’s multifaceted. We’re so much more than people who rhyme words over instrumentals. We’ve established a great mix between lyricism and the musicality that can be found in our choruses and background vocals. When you listen to New Kingz you don’t just hear another song, instead you hear a flourish of content and melodic intricacy unmatched by any of our peers.
I see that you and Ali are focusing on solo material lately. Can we expect solo projects before the New Kingz deliver something new?
You can expect both, honestly. Over the past few months Ali and I have discovered just how talented we are as writers and musicians and lately we’ve been flushing out a load of material to bless our listeners with. We’ve been putting in a lot of hours together and respectively so expect solo material in addition to more New Kingz drops.
"Quotez" is your first solo single in a year, what was going through your mind when you made it? What were some of your inspirations?
I wrote Quotez to give New Kingz listeners a deeper understanding of who Lukas G is and how I handle my business, which is New Kingz. In the song I touch on some of my thought processes, daily routines, and feelings about the music industry. 'I got a late night sesh, I'm on the road' is literally a description of everyday life for me when I'm in Chicago.
What does the next year look like for you? What are some goals you have for yourself this year?
Haha man I can’t even begin to tell you what our next year is looking like. You’re going to be hearing the name 'New Kingz' very often over the next 12 months; we’re going to be releasing so much material, collaborating with other Chicago artists, and performing at various events across the city. Everyone in our camp has been working incredibly hard and 2016 is looking up.
