A-Kid you not
> The local rapper of Apa Lagi Kita Mau fame will have more to say about stereotypes at the Good Vibes Festival next month
LOCAL rapper A-Kid shines with his ability to craft lyrics that are not only relatable, but ooze a ‘funny cause it’s true’ vibe, a skill he’ll be showcasing at next month’s Good Vibes Festival at The Ranch at Gohtong Jaya, Genting Highlands.
The 24-year-old, whose real name is Akid Lim, first splashed onto the music scene in late 2016 with his single, Apa Lagi Kita Mau, from his debut EP Stereotypes, a track inspired by a certain former prime minister.
He has since released similarly popular (and sometimes controversial) songs like Ada Awek, Work, and his latest, Gaji Masuk, with two more tracks from Stereotypes and from his upcoming second EP, due to drop this year.
“[ Stereotypes is based on] a theme,” he explains in a recent interview. “It goes from the first track which is Work, then the second track Gaji Masuk, and then Ada Awek, ’cause that’s the stereotypes of Malaysians – when you have money, you have a girlfriend.”
Now, with greater exposure, the rapper admits feeling the pressure to increase the number of hits he is getting, especially when his first single hit the 100,000 views on YouTube (currently it has exceeded 300,000 views).
Under Soul Fit Entertainment, his most-viewed music video is Gaji Masuk – released in December 2017 – featuring yungmana_2018, AdibAlexx & ROTI, with close to 600,000 views.
A-Kid says: “I just think to myself like, I’ve loved music since I was 13 or 14. It’s more than just views. It’s more than just hits.
“I believe that if I really put my heart and soul into this one track, and try not to be anyone else but myself, I’m sure the views and everything will come by itself.”
His knack for observing the small but significant things in life, coupled with relatively straightforward yet impactful lyrics, can be misconstrued as too simple at first glance.
But he insists that “lyrics don’t have to be that deep” to leave a lasting impression.
“Just say it as it is, because if you listen and … really sincerely listen, then you’ll get like a whole different conclusion, and then you can write a whole different [string] of lyrics.
“If you just listen to reply, that’s where your rhymes start to get really boring.”
In Apa Lagi Kita Mau, he and fellow rappers Klash and K-Main can be seen dressed in traditional Malaysian attire, rapping about subtle everyday racism.
“[Me], Klash, and K-Main [were] trying to show that we can still have fun … no matter how bad [the situation] in Malaysia was at that time.”
However, his track Ada Awek which features rapper Senna, has received mixed reactions due to what some perceived to be undiscerning lyrics regarding women.
A-Kid says that the lyrics were written with the theme of satirising stereotypes in mind, and there was no intention to offend.
“Anything I said in Ada Awek is strictly what Malaysians say but behind closed doors, you know.”
Unlike most rappers, A-Kid’s unassuming musical taste includes US pop/rock singer John Mayer, and he admits to “binge-watching whole live shows” by Mayer.
Although, like Mayer, A-Kid also plays the guitar, he said he “went on to [become] a rapper instead because it takes a lot to be John Mayer”.
Meanwhile, for Good Vibes on July 21 and 22, A-Kid will be spitting some new rhymes from his second EP, instead of relying on his earlier tracks.
He says he wants “to share music and just inspire everyone”, quite like how he first got into rap when he watched performances by local hip-hop collective Raising the Bar four years ago, which, incidentally, will be presenting him in the festival.
“I didn’t even know who they were. I got inspired from just listening to a different kind of music,” he recalls.
He adds that he will be bringing a different kind of vibe to the festival, “from banging to mellow, to chill ... like [a] ‘let’s party tonight’ kind of thing”.