Kinkade is back with a string of fresh singles that continue to pay homage to the look and feel of 90s hip hop. He rounds out the year with new tracks, “Never Would Have” and the on-brand nostalgia trip, “Timing”.
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RAC grad Kinkade Davis has had a busy 2020. In a year that has proven particularly challenging for artists and musicians, the Toronto native has dropped one superb single after another. His latest, “Timing,” a joint venture with another RAC alum, Ridah Kadabra, sees his penchant for 90s hip hop on full display, complete with a throwback video that would make even the most hardened cynic feel nostalgic.
Kinkade is a great interview subject: with his heart securely fastened on his sleeve, he’s as laid-back and fun-loving as his music and socials suggest. RAC sat down with Kinkade on the eve of yet another single release, “Never Would Have,” for a quick chat about music.
RAC: Let’s start with a predictable question: Who would you say are your earliest influences?
Kinkade: I grew up listening to Motown at my nanny’s house- artists like The Temptations and Michael Jackson. Oh, and some reggae, like Damian Marley and Gregory Isaacs. My mom listened to house music, and my dad listened to rap! It’s kinda where I got my style.
RAC: Have your influences changed much over the years?
K: Honestly, over the years, I’ve always gone back to the classics. Actually, J. Cole is a newer artist who I like to promote because, in my heart, I believe he’s a good person.
RAC: What would you say is your relationship to music?
K: My relationship with music is a strange one. She knows everything about me! She knows when I’m lying and when I’m faking the funk. But overall, when it clicks, it clicks, and that’s what matters- when I know that the music is true to the essence of me.
RAC: What made you realize music production was something you wanted to pursue?
K: I started off singing, so now that I’m making my own music, I’m looking at it much differently. It’s like starting all over, but I love feeling stupid and having to become a nerd. I also love knowing something that you’ll never be able to truly explain or that some people just won’t get.
RAC: Are you working on anything right now?
K: I’m always working! I just make what feels good- you never really know what you’ll get, but someone once told me that my music is legit- if that makes any sense.
RAC: What’s your favourite part of the creative process?
K: I love everything about music! I’d say my favourite part is just being alive and really developing myself. I guess that has less to do with music and more with how I’m living. But music is in everything I do!
RAC: What would you say your goals as a musician?
K: My only goal as a musician is to bring light and shine it upon the darkness that some find comfort in.
RAC: And is anybody in particular helping you achieve this goal? Anyone you’d like to give a shoutout to?
K: [Laughs] It’s good that I can do this now- there are so many!
RAC: Top ten?
K: My mom, Chrryblu, Nabil, Benjamin Adilman, Nico See, Felix, Ian, Georgia, Aaron, and Shi.
RAC: Where do you see yourself in six months?
K: Six months from now?! Probably tree-planting.
RAC: How about six years?
K: Six years from now? On tour with my friends, bringing peace, love, and unity wherever we land.
