Coming off an impressive year that featured his headlining solo tour, in addition to being recognized as UPROXX’s ‘Dark Horse Album Of The Summer,’ Brooklynite Kota the Friend returns today with his second release of the year titled “PNW” — available to stream now on all digital platforms via FLTBYS Music and Entertainment LLC / Venice Music.
The laidback new single follows Kota’s recurring theme of using locations as song titles and introduces a familiar mellow, easygoing vibe that Kota is known for as he raps about the PNW (Pacific NorthWest). That tone is reiterated throughout the song’s entirety, finding the multi-gifted artist in a romantic mood as he muses about his love interest.
On the inspiration behind the new track, Kota shares “‘PNW’ is a song about appreciating things for the way they are. When I was on tour, we stayed in a lakehouse in Washington – 30 minutes out of Seattle – and I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest energy. Although the weather was very unpredictable, I loved the place even on rainy days. I realized that when you truly love something, you love it fully, to the point where the flaws aren’t flaws at all.”
“PNW” is the latest single from Kota the Friend, serving as the follow-up effort to his acclaimed Lyrics to GO, Vol. 5 album. The January-released LP featured collaborations with legendary producers Statik Selektah (“VIENNA”) and 3X Grammy Award-winning producer Hit-Boy (“Beijing” and “TULUM”), holding a special place in Kota’s discography as the fifth installment of his popular mixtape series.
Elsewhere, Kota is gearing up for his Lyrics to GO, 5-year anniversary European tour, which will host 7 shows across Germany, Netherlands, France, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. Right before he joins the legendary GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan for a 10-show stop across the U.S.
“‘Lyrics to Go’ has distilled his musical essence into short clips, complete with minimalist visuals and yellow subtitles that ensure you don’t miss a word” – HipHopDX
“Yes, [Lyrics to GO, Vol. 2] may only be 15 minutes long with tracks that range between one and two minutes — similar to the format of Vol. 1 — but even within these micro tracks, he manages to pack a punch” – UPROXX
“Earlier in 2022, he also shared the third volume of Lyrics to GO – also containing 10 featureless tracks. Since its debut, “Dear Fear,” “Bitter,” and “Scapegoat” have become the most popular songs on Spotify” – HotNewHipHop
“Brooklyn’s own KOTA The Friend is “really him” across the length of Lyrics to GO, Vol. 4.” – Okayplayer
“Kota The Friend is carving his own lane as one of the most recognizable and multi-talented voices across the rap landscape” – Wonderland Magazine
ABOUT KOTA THE FRIEND:
Kota the Friend is a kid from Brooklyn that loves art. He burst onto the music scene in 2016, helmed by his well-received debut EP, Palm Tree Liquor, which garnered praise from industry staples such as Billboard, XXL, RESPECT. Mag, and many others. This was around the same time that the multihyphenate started to see success with his “Lyrics to GO” series, securing a fervent fanbase for his subtitled rap videos. But before Kota became the enigma that he is today, he was finding his way through Clinton Hill, consuming art on different levels. His gift is that he knows how to execute a vision, backed by a worldview that sees the bigger picture in all things. His seminal debut album, FOTO, has a soulful texture and was anointed as “one of the best hip-hop albums of 2019” by Rolling Stone. In 2020, the Brooklyn MC was riding high from the momentum of his critically acclaimed sophomore LP, EVERYTHING, which arrived during the isolating lockdown of the pandemic. The album went on to debut at No. 1 on the iTunes Hip-hop Chart, peaked at No. 4 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums Chart, and earned Kota his first entry on the Billboard 200. The following year was no different, with a presidential cosign leading Kota’s campaign for greatness. His track, “Lupita’s Interlude,” was the first song on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ inauguration playlist, which was curated by Emmy Award-winning actress Issa Rae. Further, UPROXX crowned Kota “one of the most commercially viable indie artists since Chance The Rapper,” which signaled a breakthrough 2021 for the lauded scribe. 2022 was highlighted by his third studio album, MEMO; followed by 2023’s Lyrics to GO, Vol. 4, and his 18-track opus To See a Sunset (Deluxe) with Statik Selektah. Earlier this year, Kota unveiled his fifth studio album, PROTEA. The experimental project was dubbed “The Dark Horse Album Of The Summer” by UPROXX, and it catalyzed Kota’s headlining ‘Flowers For My Friends’ tour. The 20-date run made landfall across major Canadian and U.S. cities including Vancouver, Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, and more, with a select number of sold-out dates. On top of all this, as an independent artist, Kota the Friend’s extensive discography has amassed over 400M+ streams.
