Kenzo B. Photo by @fyaimages
It’s Kenzo B‘s moment right now. The 19-year-old New York City rapper has attracted accolades (including a GEN F profile) for her charismatic take on drill, chiefly defined by a flow that whirls and slices like a tornado of razor blades. As with every breakout moment, time is of the essence, which is why on her new single “BFFR” (or, “Be Fuckin’ For Real”), Kenzo makes it clear that she’s not going to waste a second by speaking around any touchy subjects.
“Yeah I said it, so what?,” a voice repeats as the song begins, with a steady string of handclaps the first indication of its strong bounce influence. Before long, the beat becomes cross-regional with guitar stabs that recall Nas’s “Made You Look,” indicating that Kenzo’s not abandoning the sound of her city just yet. Skipping over the beat with the dexterity of an Olympic jump roper, Kenzo has the ferocity of someone who knows they’ve won the battle before it’s even begun.
