Cakes Da Killa
Photo Credit: Braylen Dion
The rapper released his latest single and talks professional and personal growth.
From the outside, it seems Cakes Da Killa has been out-of-office from the music game. In actuality, the rapper has been stacking up life experiences to inform his new music. Known for electrifying dance tracks full of cunty lyrics, and authoritative attitude, Cakes' debut 2016 album Hedonism gave him space to stretch his creative claws. Highly praised, his work offers listeners mantras of abundance and plenty to live vicariously through.
But Cakes is just living his life and making art as he feels. The thing is, this rap cat is eyeing his prey in a whole new way these days.
Having relocated from his native New Jersey to New York City, a summer trip to Georgia is proving to be a long- term vacation according to Cakes. Although the East Coast will always have a place in his heart, growth requires new terrain. And growth is exactly what Cakes is serving with his latest track, "Luv Me Nots."
Right now, Cakes knows what he wants.
“I wanted to close out that chapter of my life and see what something else had to offer," Cakes tells Okayplayer.
On "Luv Me Nots" he’s assertive, and sexy, with an air of sophistication. From his whispered vocal delivery to the twangy down-tempo rhythm, the song shows maturity and more than his respected rapid-fire lyrical raps.
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"A lot of my older material is fast-paced dance/club music...aggressive, hard hip-hop,” he says. “With this new project I've been working on, I wanted to tap into a more vulnerable side of myself. More reflective— talking about dating. [Generaly] I talk about the fun aspect of being a performer, but there is another side of that."
It's been four years since he released his last album. Curiously, Cakes didn't reveal too much about the new work other than its enhanced reflective nature. It's not a new sound for him— as we heard on his 2015 EP, #IMF— but instead, he eludes to it bringing him into a new headspace.
"I started making music when I was 20; I'm 28 now,” he says. “It's mainly me being in a different place in my life, thinking long-term. I'm exploring, no longer on dating apps, and building my credit, learning how to drive. It's very pedestrian/grown woman shit right now. It's me having a lower tolerance. I don't have time for fuck shit."
It's often been said that to know what you want, you must first understand what you don't want. We all, male or female should catch this "grown woman" train and collectively get our shit together. In preparation, it's only right to bump Cakes Da Killa's latest effort.
Stream "Luv Me Nots" below.
Revisit Hedonism below.
