Brooklynite Kota the Friend takes a trip out West in his new track entitled “OREGON.”
Right out the gate, a steady guitar rhythm soundtracks Kota’s retelling of a tavern encounter. In the span of a verse, he transitions from taking a shot of rum to listening in on the story of a lifetime – a personal memoir on the hidden cost of success. As Kota takes heed to the nameless storyteller’s message, he soon comes to the hasty realization that, “What you covet is better than what you own.”
Further to this point, Kota shares: “‘OREGON’ is about appreciating what you have. No matter what you’re chasing, it all comes back to the same thing, which is living simple and appreciating the simple things that life has to offer.”
For the video, Kota visits the Oregon Coast for a live recording of his new jam, which he wrote and produced himself. Watch above.
“OREGON” follows on from the November-released “ME TIME” featuring Tokyo producer Sweet William, which marked Kota’s first-ever collaboration with a Japanese artist.
The single caps a banner year for Kota, who is fresh off his headlining ‘Flowers For My Friends’ tour. The 20-date stretch was catalyzed by his critically acclaimed fifth studio album, PROTEA, which has racked up rave reviews from publications such as XXL, VIBE and UPROXX to name a few.
Listen to “OREGON” above and stay tuned for more from Kota the Friend very soon.
Critical Praise:
“Don’t Overlook Kota The Friend’s Dark Horse Album Of The Summer, ‘Protea’” – UPROXX
“‘Protea’ is packed with feel-good vibes and is sure to wash an air of positivity over you upon giving it a play” – VIBE
“Kota The Friend is carving his own lane as one of the most recognizable and multi-talented voices across the rap landscape” – Wonderland Magazine
“[Hope You Heal] is the perfect pick-me-up for all music lovers” – Earmilk
“[Hope You Heal] is a spirited change of pace for the rapper and a departure from anything he’s previously released” – VIBE
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.