Kennyyyyyyy! Here's a rhetorical question: When are we getting Kenny Beats back again? Ever since the producer started going by "Kenneth Blume," his actual government name, he's been thriving. He produced last year's best album. He co-produced the new Weezer joint that just got announced. He's making rock records, and he's making big moves. But come on. Some of us were invested in the name "Kenny Beats." That name rang bells. Kenny Beats has done a whole lot of great rap production; "Kenneth Blume" has not. It feels especially ridiculous to write about a new Rico Nasty single produced by "Kenneth Blume."
Rico Nasty and "Kenneth Blume" have been making blown-out, energy-charged rap anthems together for almost a decade now. They were working together even before they made the great 2019 collaborative album Anger Management, but you might as well start there. Last year, Rico released the "Kenneth"-produced one-off single "Pepper." Now, she's getting ready to head out on tour with Hayley Williams and Magdalena Bay, and she's got another one.
Rico Nasty's new song "Rituals" is a pounding, energized two-minute fast-rap freakout with attitude to spare. If you needed a sign that the Rico/Kenny partnership is still strong, this is it. In a press release, Rico says, "What inspired me to work with Kenny again was hearing the discourse. A lot of fans miss my rapping, so I wanted them to know I never forgot. I just want people to listen, and I hope it reminds them why I’m their favorite rapper." She doesn't trill the word Kennethhhhhh on the intro, but it would be pretty funny if she did. Check out the Miggy-directed video below.
Kenneth Blume co-produced Show Me The Body's upcoming album Alone Together. I interviewed those guys a few weeks ago, and they referred to him as "Kenny Beats" in conversation. Just saying.
