Forevatired is the name on everyone’s lips at the moment. Last week, the eccentric 11-man collective shared the hazy ‘Devil Fruit,’ the lead single off their next full-length project, and premiered its accompanying trippy visuals via The Fader. Since then, the burning questions have flown around: ‘Who is Forevatired?’ ‘Where did they come from?’ ‘Are they 3 or 50 ?’. In the short space of a week, the boys have gained a sizable amount of traction leading up to the release of their latest project. But anyone who’s been paying attention would know that this has been a long time coming.
In the summer of 2018, the band released its debut demo titled at the end of summer, a fresh, acoustic take on soul-infused hip hop. The project served as the perfect introduction to the BROCKHAMPTON-like alternative front’s unique sound. Late 2019 saw the boys release the Before You Kill Us All, as they further explored the depths of genre-swirling hip-hop, which created a buzz as more people caught on to the group.
Seven months down the line, and we’ve been blessed with their sophomore full-length tape, THOSE KIDS NEXT DOOR, a project that just might be their ticket to the mainstream. Their steady incline has made their music hard to ignore, and this has been solidified with the favorable reception of the release; the boys are finally getting their flowers, and it’s about damn time.
THOSE KIDS NEXT DOOR is a quarantine-themed compilation, put together by the band while observing social distancing during the pandemic. While initially based in Abuja, the boys have, surprisingly, never all been in the same place at once. But earlier in the year, ¾ of the members found themselves in a new home, and with the government-enforced lockdown in place, they decided to utilize this rare time together to make music.
‘The idea for the mixtape had been in the works even before our members moved to Lagos with a plan to finish a different project, our debut EP (still TBA),’ they tell me via email. The result is THOSE KIDS NEXT DOOR (or TKND), a sprawling 10-tracker brimming with experimental versatility and pushing the borders of modern hip-hop to blurry edges.
The project opens up with the ethereal ‘WEST’, and Golddrummachine’s delicate vocals and dreamy production immediately welcome us as he pens an ode to a lover. ‘If she kills me with her thighs/Tell the jury I don’t mind/It’s a privilege of mine/I was lost, but now I’m found’, his synth-shrouded, layered vocals echo tenderly. Effortlessly switching from an airy falsetto to digitally enhanced baritone vocals, he illustrates the intimacy of their relationship, likening the bond to that of River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves and Joey Bada$$ and Capital Steez (RIP). And on ‘ALONE’, Golddrummachine is seen receding into his all too familiar cave of self-searching.
Much like now separated hip hop collective, Odd Future, Forevatired pride themselves in their non-conformist ways. Their aesthetic is all shades of self-assuring notoriety; one glance at their Instagram, and you’re greeted with a handful of trippy, unconventional artwork and visuals, highlighting their anarchic core. This brand of reckless adolescence is conveyed further on ‘STEW’, a synth-heavy trap cut. Etienne and Runa team up on the moshpit-inducing number and trade bars on relishing in their youth and focusing on making a mark, void of distractions. The chaotic, accompanying teaser video sees the pair (along with another band member) wilding out on an uproarious car ride as Runa raps ‘She don’t care about boys/She just want the racks/Yeah, we making noise/Now that bitch want me back’.
If there’s one thing you should avoid thinking about Forevatired, it’s assuming that their ‘wild youth’ trope voids their music of refinement. One listen to this tape, and it’s quickly proven that this is not the case. Their pen game is elite. The boys have a way of putting a unique spin on relatable subjects while simultaneously exploring immersive soundscapes. A gummy, amalgamation of trap and guitar-led indie rock sounds, ‘BROKEN’ is an emotive rendition that perfectly captures the depressive episodes many young adults today can relate to.
‘I’m broken/I’m weak/I cry to sleep/Alone/I’m sad/Alone in my sheets/The darkness is creeping/I see it in my dreams’, Faith cries out, later joined by Runa and Etienne for this introspective cut. On ‘BLUE’, Rookie SBK taps in rapper Mafeni for an eccentric Afro-pop number encapsulating their attempts to woo a love interest. Elsewhere on the reflective project outro, ‘WASTED’, Brum3h channels his soulful melancholia into penning a somber love song in the key of intoxication. ‘Oh, this Henny on your lips is what I live for/Cocaina, that’s your hips, I think I want more’, his delicate vocals croon softly, oozing with love-drunk melancholia.
There’s something rather freeing about not making music to anyone’s expectations. It relieves you of the anxiety and stress of trying to please everyone (which of course has been proven impossible) and instead allows you to focus on putting out content that’s true to you. Rockimonsta’s 30-second monologue on ‘MAGIC’ touches on this. ‘You mean to tell me that I’ll be making shit/And that it all comes down to what people think ?/Nah, nigga/I don’t enjoy making music/ Until, like, those moments come’, he confesses. Without a doubt, TKND is the perfect embodiment of what making music to no one’s expectations sounds like.
I mean, you’d literally never hear a song like ‘BABY JESUS’ anywhere else. On this intense number, Etienne and Pharoah voice their thoughts on the ongoing hysteria stemming from the global pandemic and racial-based uprisings. ‘Good evening citizens, world on drugs/Government talking, I just switched off/Girlfriend calling, four missed calls/These drugs I feel my pores lift off/Whole world gone loco’, Pharoah raps, highlighting the coping mechanisms they turned to as the world sinks to an inevitable dystopia.
Lead single ‘DEVIL FRUIT’ sees Rockimonsta render an expressive conversational monologue, sparked from a hazy introspective session. The meld of the pipey synths, rippling basslines and dreamy acoustics, paired with Rockiemonsta’s immersive writing, all make for the most unexpected, yet enjoyable, ode to the struggle as a young artist. And on the hypnotic ‘FILM TRICK’, Etienne and Pharoah tap in SOLIS to deliver an ode to a love interest, inspired by old Nollywood flicks.
Forevatired is a pretty sizeable collective. Their large number has made them rather self-sufficient, for the most part, rarely venturing out-of-house for vocal, art direction, and production needs. But what’s most intriguing about the posse is the balance they bring to their musical compositions, despite featuring an array of artists. The collaborations are well thought out; each vocal delivery is distinct, complementing the next and never gets cluttered, portraying the intentional thought behind every track.
As a whole, TKND scans the breadth of the band’s exuberant poster, exhibiting their genre-fluid sonic palette and experimenting with modern hip hop techniques. The camaraderie that binds the group is apparent. With 3/11 of the boys in different states, and one abroad, TKND is proof that their evident synergy exceeds the physical; separated but never really apart. It’s a project for everyone. No matter your taste, you’re bound to find something that resonates with you. And with each listen, you’re certain to find a new fave. Back in March, we told you that Forevatired isn’t your everyday alternative band, and now with the release of TKND, the gospel isn’t up for debate. If you’re late to the party, it’s fine but welcome. This is only the beginning.
