Before listening to 19-year old KYLE's newest track, "I Keep It Real", the Ventura, CA native offers an apologetic for the track's title and concept: "It's funny how many times the expression "I Keep It Real" or "Damn cuh, I'm real as fuck!" is used in rap, usually by a bunch of people who carry this preconceived idea of what being "Real" really is... Being "Real", is being who you REALLY are, and not some generic drug dealing New York rapper with diamonds in both ears #245. Im [sic] not gonna lie I've never shot anybody or sliced a brick, I was into drama… I play mid-evil RPG's, I watch "Everybody Loves Raymond" and actually like it... Look up Bobby Caldwell that nigga got bars. I dont lie about who I am… and neither should anyone else. IDGAF who thinks otherwise, I Keep It Real."
Then you play the track and you realize that maybe this kid has a better grasp on authenticity than some of his peers twice his age. What also helps is the fact that Carnage lays a hand at providing a banging beat with all the right emotive flourishes -- the track closes with a beautiful piano solo that intentionally or not, plays to KYLE's effort to keep things real. Age seems to be in the young artist's favor given what we hear has us pretty convinced he's headed toward his prime.
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