Interview: Kemetstry
Huddersfield mic veteran Kemetstry, formerly known as Spida Lee recently released one of the hardest hip-hop projects to come out of West Yorkshire in 2024: Kemz The Alchemist. After hearing the project, Wordplay reached out to Kemetstry to provide exclusive insights into the project guest featuring Farma G, Jack Danz, Illinformed & more.
The 8 track album, complete with a DnB bonus track was written soon after the release of Kemetstry’s prior album, ‘Kemez The Atlantean’ which dropped in 2021. “There were just a lot of things g'waning in the meantime,” explained Kemetstry. “So it just took a while for it to finally come out.” Intent on raising the bar from his last album, Kemetstry enlisted some of the UK’s illest hip-hop producers to bring more variety to the instrumentals, including Farma G, Jack Danz and Illinformed. “I just felt like I needed to raise the levels,” summed up Kemetstry. Illinformed handles production for the album’s introductory track, Dickhead. Kemetstry knew Illinformed from hearing his releases online, becoming aware of his talent and then noticing he was also selling beats. “I know a brudda called Mylo Stone from from Bristol sides,” recalled Kemetstry. “I know he knew Illinformed so I made Mylo know I was going to DM Illinformed, then from then on we spoke man and just made it happen.” Kemetstry already had his rhymes written, but was still searching for the right beats to fit his lyrics perfectly. “I am kind of fussy like that,” added Kemetstry. “I won't just jump on any old beat, it's got to be a beat that fits the lyrics to a T and that Illinformed beat there just fitted the lyrics - so that's how it happened.” The following track is produced by Jack Danz: Too Bad Mind, which Kemetstry dropped a video for on October 27th. “I want to big up Jack Danz, proper cool brudda,” said Kemetstry. “He also gave me a beat and jumped on a track called OG Spirit for ‘Kemez The Atlantean’ which was sick, man.”
A standout track from Kemz The Alchemist is a cypher called Anubis (5 Star Generals) which features Flowtecs, Jibbarish, KG-Chi, Menace Mendoza and produced by Krimson. Compact with crazy flows and underpinned by a hectic instrumental, the track was initially supposed to be a collaboration with Kemetstry’s affiliates in Menace Mendoza’s crew, Dark Side of the Moon however Kemetstry decided to include more rappers to add to the tracks overall flavour. “I sent the track to Menace Mendoza who then sent it to Flowtecs,” recalled Kemetstry. “ I was just thinking, you know what yeah, I might just see who else I can get on this track, because I heard Jibbarish's flow and I thought 'Yo, he's got a different flow and his tone of voice is sick’, and then I thought 'KG-Chi as well man, he's got that dark voice, he's got like a low tone voice and his flow is different as well.” This track leads into Fuck Boy, produced by Alchemy - a classic boom-bap orientated single which features Kemetstry spitting more storyteller vibes. “That track there was supposed to go on the Kemz The Atlantian project,” recalled Kemetstry. “But that project was a bit too dark, so I didn't really think it fitted it, so I thought I'd try to get it on this project - it's just an idea that came into my head and turned into a story.”
The project continues into the next single called Spirit Vs Ego, a relatable track which resonates personally for Kemetstry as it speaks on a number of serious topics throughout. “I wrote that track before I even put out Kemez the Atlantean,” revealed Kemetstry. “It was over a totally different beat as well, I just thought I'd come with opposites of different things, you know, like Karate Vs Judo, all types of tings like that and I were just being creative man - I called it Spirit Vs Ego because that was the first that came to my head and them times there, I was on a spiritual type of journey type of ting still, so I was trying to battle with the Ego and the Spirit, the Mind and the Spirit and trying to back off the ego ting, you know what I mean?” Interlinked within the project are skits which Kemetstry found from online, from a man called Bill Carlson who speaks on theories concerning ancient civilisations - including the lost city of Atlantis, which Kemetstry was fascinated with.”He's into like, the story of Atlantis being an actual, real continent,” explained Kemetstry. “That's my ting right there, man, all the ancient civilisation stuff and things like that.”
Huddersfield affiliate Kilo, an independent musician who founded his own brand IGRFT, has known Kemetstry from longtime and makes the next album feature on another deep tune called Light Beings. “It's family as well to be honest with you, that's actually my people’s man,” stated Kemetstry. “So yeah - Kilo's sick man, he's doing his ting man, he's got his own clothing range, he's putting out music as well so people should definitely go check out Kilo and his stuff man, 100%. Big up Kilo, big up IGRFT.” This leads into the next single, called Connect With Your Soul which features Verbz, a London based emcee who Kemetstry has known through performing shows alongside him. “I got offered to do a show down London,” reminisced Kemetstry. “I have to big up FDE as well you know, they've been putting on bare shows - I was supposed to do a show with FDE supporting Pitch 92, Illaman and Killa P and all them man there, but that show got cancelled - so they set me up to jump on this one in November with Verbz and them man.” The concept of the Connect With Your Soul single is about “Taking time trying to connect with your spirit,” explained Kemetstry. “How I see it is like, that's where you find your true inner peace and happiness, man - it's not looking outwards, it's looking inwards.”
The album climaxes with Consequences produced by none other than the legendary Task Force member Farma G, who has become increasingly renowned for his producing talents over the years. Kemetstry had met Farma G many years ago, when Task Force performed at a venue called The Parish in Huddersfield where Kemetstry was also booked to provide a supporting act. “It's funny because I said to him 'I actually supported you one time in Huddersfield and he goes 'You know what, I've done that many shows all over the place I can't remember where and who,” laughed Kemetstry. “But he was selling beats so I just hit him up, I sent him the track so he could have a listen and he rated it man, he showed love for it - when I put the video out, he shared it so I've got to respect that.” The final single on Kemz The Alchemist is a Drum & Bass remix of the track Dickhead, produced by Ziggy Oats. Kemetstry has been a fan of Drum & Bass music since his younger days, never passing up a chance to perform on it live as he says it makes the crowd more hype. “I would like to do a video for it,” said Kemetstry. “Truly I reckon that would be a lot better live with all the people in the crowd and everything just vibing to it, because when I do it live as well, the crowd are proper loving it man, so I think it will happen. I've done like 3 videos so far for the project and I'm just going to keep doing videos, so I reckon it will probably happen.”
Kemetstry also wanted to shout out a journalist that has a channel called Canadian Dad Reacts, who has supported Kemetstry more than most which is highly appreciated. “One day I had a text or DM off one of my boys,” recalled Kemetstry. “He said 'Yo check this,' I hit the link and it was Canadian Dad doing a review for No Respect No Manners from back then, man. He also did one for Astral Plane, he actually reviewed the whole Kemez The Atlantean project. Yeah man, he fully supports so I've got big him up because other publicists don't really fuck with people, but this guy is fully on it and fully showing love man.”
“I'm in London on the 2nd of November at Tones Coffee Shop,” continued Kemetstry, letting people know where to catch his next live performance. “That's supporting KG-Chi's crew, Rap Exchange, so I'm going down there with them man. Jazz T is down there playing, Spoken Audio are going to be DJ'ing for me - that should be a live one man.”