AS part of my new music column for the County Times, I decided that I wanted to show off the best musical talent in Wales, but also wanted to display a range of different music genres.
So with confidence I present to you my very first featured artist: 17-year-old Powys boy, rap and r’n’b music maker, Llion Vaughan.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never been a fan of r’n’b or rap, and in the past I’ve had very limited dealings with that side of the music industry.
However, when I heard that Llion was making his own music I decided it probably wouldn’t be the worst idea to check out his work.
I think what first attracted me to Llion’s work – who goes by the name of Kid V –was how unusual it was, in the sense that you very rarely find a young, local artist creating this kind of music, and I think Kid V is to be admired for standing out from the crowd and experimenting with something different.
Without a doubt, every high school has at least one school band, but how many can say they have their own rap/r’n’b star?
An important element of Kid V’s work is that it is difficult to categorise it into a particular genre, as it crosses over into many different sub genres, and this is preferable. It’s different, so could essentially be very successful.
But now to the important facts, what does Kid V’s work sound like and why should you check him out?
His work, is catchy, and undoubtedly will stick in your head.
His lyrics are fast paced, yet understandable and there is a huge amount of meaning and effort been pumped into every track. Kid V’s work has depth and emotion that saturates his lyrics.
There is unlimited motivation as he creates music for a purpose – to get across his message, and his emotions and I believe that this particular characteristic is vital in musicians.
I truly believe that Kid V has talent. There is no question about that, and I also believe that, as long as people give him the chance, he will succeed to a very high level.
His passion for his work is outstanding, as proved when he teamed up with long-time friend Gus Harris (G – Major) to record 10 songs in just one night for their joint project “Project Airborne” which can be accessed online at www.kidv.bandcamp.com/album/project-airborne.
It really is like completing a marathon inside five minutes. To be able to record ten decent songs, in one night, that takes skill.
Not only can Kid V, and G Major rustle up song after song in quick succession, but they do it with unlimited enthusiasm and a very noticeable love for their work.
Kid V described their project as “just a bit of fun and showed what we could do within a short amount of time” however, I think now, it is far far more than just a bit of fun, with over 40 downloads and 1,000 plays.
This may not sound like record breaking numbers, but when you consider that Kid V, who had only really been interested in rap and r’n’b for 10 months before he produced his own work, is still at school, you’ll start to see that this really is the start of something huge for him.
Ideally, I wanted to compare Kid V’s work to a more mainstream artists, however that would be pointless because Kid V’s work is far more original especially with his “no swear” approach to his work (adopted from other rap star Chamillionaire), which takes a dare to be different approach which is more radio friendly.
My particular favourite song is “Paper Chasing” due to the rhyming raps and bouncing beats, however don’t take my word for it.
Make sure you check out the young star for yourself. You can access his music for free at the bandcamp address as listed above or on facebook at www.facebook.com/TheRealKidV.
I really can’t urge you enough to check out Kid V’s work, as I believe this really is the beginning of something huge.