Kidi is one of Afrobeats’ biggest and brightest new stars. The Ghanaian singer and songwriter has become a worldwide phenomenon alongside his Afrobeat peers Wizkid, Burna Boy and Davido. His song “Touch It” went viral and exposed the world to his fresh sound and vibes. Kidi expanded his global reach when he linked up with legendary producer and executive Jack Knight, who created “Touch It. Knight signed the singer to his Made in East New York imprint.
Kidi’s recently released EP, 4Play is cementing his spot as a superstar and the artist will perform at Afrochella on Dec. 28 in Accra, Ghana.
Rolling out spoke with Kidi about who he is, going viral and Ghana’s influence on Afrobeats.
Who Kidi is and what does he represent?
I’m a cool, calm, laid back guy. I’m all about my music. I’m all about happiness. I’m all about positivity, good aura, vibes and enjoyments. I’m just a young kid from Ghana who is trying to make my mother proud, make my country proud, make my son proud, make everybody happy through music.
How did it feel when “Touch It” went viral?
To be honest I didn’t picture it going the way it did. As artists we just go into the studio and our goal is to make a good song. We walk into the studio to make great music. What the music will go ahead to do, we have no control over. I was humbled by everything and how it happened. I’m grateful the music was entering markets that I’d never even been to. It felt amazing.
What is the significance of Afrobeats in Ghana?
The whole world outside of Africa sees [all] music that comes out of Africa as afrobeat. Down in Ghana we have genres like high life and hip life. There’s so much other music coming out of Africa. Obviously afrobeat is on the forefront projecting Africa to the world.
How do you separate yourself from the pack?
This is a conversation I always have with … my team. I think what separates me from everybody is the soul. You know, afrobeat is groovy. It’s a groovy genre that people hear and want to dance to. But even though you are dancing to a Kidi record, a Kidi record will probably make you cry as well, ’cause there’s so much soul in that. I have an R&B background and I have a high life background. I put them all together and it makes my music.
What was your intention with your EP 4play?
I told the whole team let’s not rush into the next album. Let’s give the fans, as their name suggests, the foreplay before the main. As an artist, my way of communicating with the world is through music. I hate to have my fans waiting too long without music.
