Born in Florida and raised in Texas, artist Kuzu Mellow has spent the last two years building his library of earnest, lo-fi rap songs that have each struck cords with multiple millions of listeners across all platforms. Kuzu’s sound is incredibly easy on the ears, and after speaking with him about both his intent and process, it’s apparent he’s one of most genuine artists making music this year.
“I chose to go with [the name] Kuzu Mellow cause it fit at the time. For a little while I thought it was dumb but it grew on me.
It has its own meaning as well, Kuzu meaning trash or waste in Japanese. Figured if I was gonna make music I might as well make mellow trash.”
It’s difficult to find an artist looking to put the message behind his music unapologetically before his image or earnings. Kuzu’s quirky, positive, and relatively uninformative public profiles contribute to his lovable character. While artists with a comparable following are posting photos of themselves and their nearly excessive lifestyle, Kuzu has grabs of his regularly active youtube channel.
Kuzu spoke about his laid back personality and relatively uneventful life thanks to living a bit off the map, but also about his inspirations and process of creating content. He’s taken inspiration from big names in music like Eden, Dance Gavin Dance and many many more. Perhaps contributing to his laid back persona, he described his process as something relatively different; Kuzu prefers to freestyle and establish his flow first before nailing down lyrics and admits his best work takes time.
Another thing Kuzu made abundantly clear was how much music means to him. He says it’s a way to release built up sadness and clear his mind when it’s seemingly moving a million thoughts a second.
“The biggest thing I want to show with my music is sensitivity… Most songs I write are about things that really hurt me, or [about me] trying to encourage others.
I want to send a message that we all exist together, we all feel big pains, and sometimes they’re just too much but it’s 100% okay to feel, it’s 100% okay to breakdown and cry, and it’s 100% okay to express your sadness.
That’s my main goal in music. [It] was when I started still is now. “
Whether you find Kuzu Mellow’s music a relief or a way to realize shared emotions, this artist’s ability to soothe is delightfully rare. He’s certainly had a portion of the attention he deserves. Frequently featuring artists and switching up his producers, Kuzu has quite a network of collaborators; names like D-Real(愛), Roko Tensei, and so many more contribute to Kuzu’s always-evolving sound.
Find Kuzu Mellow on Soundcloud, Youtube, and all your favorite streaming services the next time one needs to unwind with some authentic and non-disruptive bars. As a young artist he still manages to release very frequently, so give him a follow to stay up to date.