Kid Syc
“Bored with the streets wanted to see the tree tops// Let my eyes get the birds eye view// ‘Cuz I’m sure flying’s cooler than walkin’// I mean look at Superman and Clark Kent//”
The opening lines from KidSyc’s latest project, The Fly High Mikstape, just about sums the Atlanta-bred rapper up in four bars. His style is intricate, but clear. Intelligent, yet concise and to the point. “I don’t think packing my verses with overblown vocabulary makes me a better artist. It just alienates the average listener, and that’s the opposite of what I want to happen when you listen to my music.” At 22 years old it seems Syc has found what it takes most emcees years in the game to discover. Complexity does not equal greatness. Without watering down his content, KidSyc draws you in with a flow that constantly surprises the ear and hooks that stick with you for days at a time.
The passion for creating music was almost forced on him. During the five years he lived in Minnesota after his parents divorce in ’92,
KidSyc, born Lloyd Harold, attended a fine arts elementary school across the street from his house. “We had to play strings, a band instrument, take Spanish, and art classes. It was like basic training for the creative mind.” Growing up on the music of artists like Micheal Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, and Anita Baker, provided the blueprint for the type of music he would aspire to one day create.
“For You” (Live @ Tantra) – Kid Syc
KidSyc, had a late introduction to hip-hop. With a mother that kept close tabs on what got into the eyes and ears of her children, it was almost impossible for him to explore the world of rap music. “My mom wouldn’t let us watch the Simpsons ’cause Bart was disrespectful, so you can imagine how she felt about 2Pac.” These restrictions were something he would later come to appreciate, and view as necessary to his development as an artist.
By the time he was able to get away with listening to rap music, KidSyc started to develop an interest in making Hip-Hop. “I would sit and play Word of Mouf, The Blueprint, and The Eminem Show, over and over again, writing the words down and picking apart what they were doing with they’re rhymes and figuring out how I could make it work for me.” The result was a quiet 16-year-old high school senior, becoming one of the most impressive lyricists in his school, unbeknownst to his peers.
College came around and KidSyc (then Kid Syco) broke out of his shell and built a reputation as one of the fiercest battle emcees and most long-winded freestyle rappers on the Savannah College of Art and Design campus. After paying dues at open mic sessions and curb-side cyphers for 4 years, he created his first album ‘Duality’, released in the summer of 2006. With the first album under his belt, he began to immediately write for his next project “The Greatest Hits Mikstape”, which was placed on hold and never saw the light of day.
Finally, after a graduation two quarters overdue, KidSyc had the mental space, and the free time to work on a new project. instead of working on album 2, he chose to put together a mixtape, that would build the buzz he needed for the 2nd project to get the attention it deserved. And that’s where we are today with the Fly High Mikstape. “I could have taken the five or six industry beats off and still had an 18 song album, but that wasn’t in my plan of attack. If I make the wrong move it could cost me the game, I gotta play chess with this one.”
With a wide range of topics and the tag team production of NekstUp Beats and Alex Goose providing that extra ‘umph’ in the beat department, the self-proclaimed Rapper of the Century is making the right moves on the board to get his checkmate. KidSyc explains,”It’s not just some boastful title (Rapper of the Century) I’ve awarded myself, its more of a goal I’ve set to keep me on my toes. Even though I know I’m twice as good as most of your favorite rappers.” It is this mix of confidence and honesty that adds to his natural flair, and refreshingly inspiring energy, and makes you want to watch his every move. “I keep God in the drivers seat. That added to my talent and the team I run with….. its a like a formula for success that can’t fail, just sit back and watch.”
Quotes ‘n such….
“Well, it’s not the mindless “Jeep bass” and booty music that seems to have both the club scene and modern urban (and pop) radio in a vice grip. It’s a more thoughtful, contemplative brand of hip-hop”
–Savannah Connect, Jim Reed
“Breath of fresh air” in a new hip-hop world characterized by mainstream pop and glamour, a sharp contrast with the widespread lyricism-focused rap of the 1990s. –Edmund Dantes