Kaby Sets the Stage in ‘Everything’ [Fresh Vid]

It’s been a long minute since we’ve heard something new from native Nashvillian Kaby, whose debut LP H.E.R.E. we crowned Best Hip-Hop Album in our 2013 Best of Nashville issue. It was a pretty cool surprise to hear that he’d been added to the bill for the hip-hop and dance-oriented Breakaway Music Festival coming to the Bicentennial Mall Oct. 5-6. Even better: He’s got new music on the way.

Kaby has been putting in work with producers Nathan Zensen and Mike Ewing since Just Because, his 2014 collaboration with P.A. Lit. And now, he’s got a new album called Era of the Try Hard on deck. 

Parts of the record are tinged with the R&B flavor that marked H.E.R.E., but the lead track “Everything,” which dropped late last week, starts off with an aggressive trap feel. At the top, the MC fires off a stream-of-consciousness flow warning anyone who’s smart to stay out of his way. Then, the piece turns on a dime into soulful self-examination: “I’m addicted to sound waves / I just hope that sound pays,” he raps over a boom-bap beat and a warped and wistful melody. 

“ ‘Everything’ is the first installment of an ongoing narrative,” the rapper says in a release that accompanies the black-and-white music video, directed by Kaby and Nix, which you can stream above. “On the surface ‘Everything’ is a fever dream of self-actualization; but just beneath, it’s foreshadowing the cultivation of an idea.”

The album’s release date hasn’t been announced yet, but you’ll definitely want to watch for it to drop — keep an eye on his website for more, and stream or download the track in your choice of formats. He’s also set to play the first night of Breakaway Fest on Friday, Oct. 5 — see the fest’s website for the latest on the lineup and ticketing details.