Rapper, singer and songwriter Kaio Kane, born De’lazsia Lowe, and raised in Rockymount, North Carolina, says his music is a reflection of a rural upbringing and the motivation to provide for his family. He began writing his own rhymes in junior high school, and soon realized his interest in producing music, investing the time to learn how to use the software by engineering for other artists. Influenced by 2 Chainz, Future, Tory Lanez, and Travis Scott, Kane also draws on earlier experiences, while listening to his uncle who played the drums and his grandfather who played the piano, as well as hosted a late night show on a local jazz radio station. Signed to the independent label, 100 Keys Entertainment, Kane states: “I want to create music that people can feel and relate to.”
Kaio Kane is currently promoting his single, “Smoke4Free” ft. Stunna 4 Vegas. Kane sounds like a veteran rapper who positions himself to be at the top of his game. Unlike the outsized projections rap stars routinely make to seem more powerful, the assessment of Kane’s status is actually correct.
That kind of conviction in an independently signed artist is rare. The track has all of the different facets of Kaio Kane craft, as he works in harmony at high levels with his Stunna 4 Vegas. The track’s production and songwriting is as manicured as all his other projects.
Kaio Kane has the ability to smoke not just your favorite rapper, but a whole posse full of them, and he has a parallel sensibility for communicating grit and wit with accessible simplicity. There’s plenty of energy to be found throughout the track, while Stunna helps add a sense of urgency to the dark and aggressive bass line underlining the verses.
The sentiments run bold across the beat, proving that rappers like Kane are more than just entertainers. His talent cannot be overstated here. He’s extremely potent and authoritative, and as commanding as he had been on the entire “The Perfect Storm” album.
Just as in the past, Kaio Kane means every word that he says, eats every beat he raps on, and vibes with every bar on this record. He is incredibly loud and boisterous when he wants to be, as he trades a slew of impressive punchlines with Stunna 4 Vegas.
Unlike the track, “Same Energy”, where he showcases his knack for infectious hooks and melodic rhyming, on this project his crafty wordplay and his ability to effortlessly condense several flows in a few bars comes to the fore. In both cases, this evidences Kaio Kane’s extreme versatility.
Ultimately though, it’s the high-powered, infectious enthusiasm and personality that makes “Smoke4Free” ft. Stunna 4 Vegas worth listening to. Kaio Kane walks a thin line between confidence and cockiness as he gracefully rides the banging beat. If this is any indication of more to come this year, then things are looking more than stellar for Kaio Kane.
