NYCL Kai Closes Out The Year With Newest Track '2020'

Over gritty guitars and ruddy lo-fi beats, rapper, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and skater NYCL Kai spits with punk recklessness and delivers an atomic genre-bending hybrid informed by hard-earned street lessons.

The 22-year-old started living those lessons as a kid in The Bronx. Residing in a two-story building where his mom served as the landlord, a group of evicted tenants left a bass in an abandoned unit. As if placed in this space by divine intervention, Kai picked it up and taught himself basic chords, writing rudimentary songs throughout middle school.

Possessed with the spirit of classic punk a la GG Allin, Pennywise, Leftöver Crack, The Misfits, and The Clash, he incorporated those influences into his own fiery brand of hip-hop. He wrote and recorded "f The MTA" followed by "f Scooters." As the songs drummed buzz throughout the boroughs, he caught the attention of his manager and went on to sign to Atlantic Records.

By playing bass, writing, and producing, he cooked up a chaotic "drill punk" style of his own. His newest music is bound pop off with true intensity and herald the next phase of the East Coast underground with a bang.

Listen to "2020" here: