Local artists KVKA & DENZ 1’s upcoming collaborative EP Outlierz – set for release on 18 November - brings together hardcore hip-hop, boom bap vibes and raw soul, with the duo dropping first single ‘Bad Angel’.
 
Serving up a taste of their take on traditional hip-hop with a contemporary twist, ‘Bad Angel’ begins to define the rising artists’ unique sound.  Check out the video, produced by Samuel Gatara and David Argue.

 "’Bad Angel’ is not just a reflection of a traditional sound in hip-hop, but how it has matured and developed. It speaks on my place in music and also the things that have been happening over my two year absence" -said KVKA.
 
Already turning heads by racking up nearly one million YouTube views for his track ‘Who You’, Outlierz is to solidify KVKA’s firm footing in old school rap while also tipping the spectrum of his musical talent.
 
Working with Producer DENZ 1, the EP came together in the Stay Savage crew’s Wellington basement studio. The team went into lockdown, recording verses - some of which KVKA had written when he was just 15 - and smashing out most of the demos over a week period.
 
“Both Denz and I brought a lot of material into recording, meaning it was able to come together quite quickly. We were on the same vibe and got into a dream roll. Collaborating in this kind of environment meant it came together organically, and allowed us to capture the rawness of the project.” KVKA commented.
 
The team then brought in producer FARTOOKIND also from Wellington, who “blessed us with three beats to fill the rest of the record”, also adding to the diversity of the output.
 
“To me this record is a refection of the raw hip hop sound and its birth in New Zealand - in a way which might have not been done before. It’s a new movement and a new take on an old sound” says DENZ 1.
 
Outlierz will be released through Auckland underground urban label Black Lotus on Friday 18 November, with ‘Bad Angel’ available digitally now for purchase and streaming. Merch items to be released through stay-savage.com.