FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Music

Kembe X's "Goofass" Is a Great Way To Let Off Steam

The Chicago rapper pays homage to the boom bap era in his newest video.

Chicago rapper Kembe X is a true chameleon. Over the past few years, he's built a strong base of listeners with an impressive range of bellowing harmonies and more conventional styles of flowing. It's what makes his music exciting—there's never a clear idea of what you'll get before hitting the play button. Earlier this year, Kembe released a song titled "Goofass," which is a boom bap number about nothing more than letting out bottled up anger. "When I wrote 'Goofass,' I had literally just gotten back from a show in Lubbock Texas. Shit was like a 12 hour drive or something like that," he told me. "The record is just purely about giving a certain feeling. That grimy, angry, shit talking energy you rarely get nowadays from rappers."

Advertisement

Today, we're premiering the song's video. With Kembe posted up against a wall in a small room, it's reminiscent of videos from the 90s in which emcees would stand in one spot while a microphone swung in front of them. The walls surrounding Kembe in the clip are different pieces of news and pop culture, old and new. At points, the camera flashes to still shots from Moonlight, multiple showing of the Obamas, and a photo of Hitler marching in the streets. "This new music is going to take all the conversations I like to have in my music," he said. "From spirituality and religion, vices, being doubted or counted out, facing insecurities and fears all while wanting to have fun and enjoy life while we're here. I feel like I've finally got a grasp on how I want to approach this rap shit." Watch the video above.

Follow Lawrence Burney on Twitter.