Aussie Hip Hop

Lifestyle, Kerser’s 8th album release in as many years is set for release on March 8^th . The Campbelltown-bred emcee hit the studio and worked alongside acclaimed Sydney producer Open Till L8. The pair put their heads together to craft all of the beats and Kerser describes this process as returning to his roots – the last time he worked in this way was on album number 4, King.

On working alongside Open Till L8 to create the 15 tracks that would become Lifestyle, Kerser enthuses, “We were both in the studio at once and we were vibin’. Straight away we were on the same page.”

Kerser was in search of “a real modern sound” for ‘Lifestyle’ and found exactly what he was looking for in Open Till L8’s beats. “Staying relevant with the times, that’s always been a mission, ’cause this is album 8 in 8 years so I gotta make sure the albums don’t sound too repetitive,” The lead single Da Kers Effect exemplifies this with its minimal intro of distorted vocal phrases making way for thunderous, vibrating bass. “I just wanna hear it through a massive venue system,” Kerser confesses. “Hopefully the whole venue shakes!”

Kerser fans will already have digested Exceptional, an album teaser/promo track from Lifestyle that dropped last month. A haunting, melodic intro is interrupted by a siren before Kerser announces, “I’m about to bring that real shit back/Shit’s turned into a fashion show“.

And of course it wouldn’t be an ABK Records release without a feature from one of Kerser’s label mates: Jay UF trades verses on What Ya Day Brings Part 2, a playful continuation of their previous collab track What Ya Day Brings.

Renewed vigour permeates all the way through album number 8 and Kerser admits, “When my voice came back it really inspired me to get back into the studio – once the tour was finished – and do as much recording as I can.“

At the beginning of 2018, just 2 weeks before he was due to head out on tour off the back of his 7th album, the ARIA-nominated Engraved In The Game, Kerser lost his voice. What was initially believed to be laryngitis was later diagnosed as a paralysed vocal cord. Tour dates were pushed back and Kerser was booked in for surgery. “They weren’t 100% on whether my voice would come back so I was full freakin’, thinkin’ I’d never be able to talk again,” Kerser recalls. “It was like, ‘Give me a broken arm or a broken leg, but don’t take my vocal cord!”

In 2017 the Ghosts In The Room-produced standalone single Total Concentration, featuring Kerser alongside Future and Young Buck – was released on Kerser’s own ABK Records via ADA/Warner Music Australia and it certainly helped place the Sydney emcee on the world stage. A YouTube mixtape that opened with Total Concentration attracted 3 million views and Kerser chuckles, “I think a lot of Americans would’ve been like, ‘Well who’s the Aussie rappin’ on it?‘”

You can pre-order Lifestyle HERE

See below for Kerser’s AUS tour dates. Tickets can be purchased HERE

FRIDAY 12 APRIL – PRINCE BANDROOM, VIC (18+)
SATURDAY 13 APRIL – PRINCE BANDROOM, VIC (U18)
SATURDAY 27 APRIL – THE METRO THEATRE, NSW (AA)
FRIDAY 3 MAY – HQ COMPLEX, SA (AA)
SATURDAY 11 MAY – CAPITOL, WA (18+)
SATURDAY 18 MAY – MODE BAR & NIGHTCLUB, LAUNCESTEN, TAS (18+)
FRIDAY 24 MAY – EATONS HILL HOTEL, BRISBANE, QLD (AA)
FRIDAY 31 MAY – THE JACK, QLD (18+)

Source: AllAussieHipHop.com