I.K.P.
Q What does the title PSYCHE mean to you, and how does it reflect the overall message of the EP?
PSYCHE was named after the asteroid between Mars and Jupiter and represents the soul’s journey in astrology. The term also translates to one’s mentality – which brings together conscious and subconscious thoughts, feelings and motives. So my mentality was that I wanted a way to express where I am now and how I got here; the experiences and reflections that led me here.
Q Across the project there’s a strong sense of inner conflict and growth, did you approach the writing as a way to process your own evolution?
Yes. My whole musical journey has been a beacon for helping process many different experiences and to cope with many of my struggles.
Q In OFF TOPP you set a very direct and confrontational tone, what mindset were you in when writing those lyrics?
I was taking in a lot good experiences to be perfectly honest. I started writing it early in 2025. I came into the year on a good note. I got some good dick in Puerto Rico. Then a good friend of mine took me to see a Brooklyn Nets game in box seats at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. I’m celebrating life. Then one day in February, one of my coproducers DMs me the track and I was activated right away. When that happens, I go to work. I’m feeling good and that leads to me declaring my agency. Everything i wrote about in that song was true to the moment. The sexual agency, the star chart readings, the spiritual energy. It was on 10 and when its like that, you feel untouchable.
Q You often contrast authenticity with people who “build hype,” how important is that distinction in your artistry?
I internalized the importance of speaking to times in my art. I look around and my grown self has no room for being trapped by a script thats outdated. A lot of what i see in the culture is people acting out the script and trying to get by. Many aren’t doing the shadow work. So they build hype and obscure themselves when shit hits the fan. They talk a good game. But the choices they make reveal the real narrative.
Q KILL OR B KILLED feels like it speaks on survival beyond just music, what experiences shaped that perspective?
I saw one of my cousins, an artist named Iz Hoffa, do an 18 year bid and come out like nothing happened. I was there when he came out. He had been keeping in touch with me along the way and in my darkest hours, he would check on me. I never forgot that because its what kept me going in life and as an artist. My sister made a reference to Daniel 3:25 in the Bible when we talked about Iz, where the three men walk through fire with an angel and come out unharmed. Iz had 2 brothers that did similar bids and we saw them all make it through and we celebrated their milestones when they came out. Those types of experiences and that type of spirituality and alignment inform songs like KILL OR B KILLED.
Q Do you see that “kill or be killed” mindset as something you had to unlearn, or something you still carry with you?
That song is not about threats. That song is a snapshot of who I am and how I paint pictures. I’m describing a state of mind that is based on survival and grit. There’s nothing to unlearn. If anything, I’m taking stock of what I know.
Q LOVE ELEMENT introduces a more reflective tone, what does “love” represent to you in that context?
Love starts with The Almighty for me. The cosmos. The universe. The ancestors. Love lives with them and when I feel like I need love to show me something, I let them lead the way. They always show me that all I have to do, is look within. I came from love. I am loved. My parents and siblings act out of the love thats instilled in us. So i remember that. When I remember faith, I remember myself and the love shown to me.
Q When you talk about being “judgement-free,” is that more about how you treat others or how you’ve learned to treat yourself?
It’s both. When I say “judgement-free”, I’m channeling an inner peace that I maintain when I remember my faith. I can judge things and people all day really. I think where judgment is dangerous is when its acted upon with the intent to inflict harm. It serves me in no way to use judgment to those ends.
Q You don’t soften your voice even when talking about healing, was that important for you to maintain?
There is rage there. And healing happens when I allow myself to feel that and express that. Expressing the hurt at the core of the rage is its own healing for me.
Q LEAD WITH LOVE feels like a resolution in some ways, do you see it as a conclusion or just another step in your journey?
Just another step. The journey is not done. I’m continually evolving and my goal is show what I learned so others can see what’s possible. As long as I have more to share, the journey will continue.
Q How do you personally define “leading with love” in environments that haven’t always been supportive?
For me, I’m leading with love for myself. That means I respect myself. I honor myself and those whose shoulders I walk on. I don’t have to betray what my ancestors endured. So whatever decision I make, its gonna be about honoring what I love. Sometimes that will look like resistance. There’s love there too. It’s a form of self-love.
Q Do you feel like writing PSYCHE helped you see certain patterns in your life more clearly?
I was able to examine my whole mindset in the process of this project. It took years and a lot of trial and error and experience before certain patterns became clear to me.
Q Your lyrics often mix toughness with introspection, do you think that duality is essential to who you are as an artist?
I think many people walk with that. I think its important to show the humanity as plainly as possible. Art and life are basically the same to me. Someone showed me how that path is walked. In the process, I saw how beautiful and messy life is. The art manifests in the same ways for me. So duality is just built into to who I am.
Q There’s a sense of pressure and transformation running through the EP, do you see pressure as something necessary for growth?
I used to think pressure was about fear. Fear of disappointing people. But I let that go when I decided I can only be accountable to whatever energy I want to carry and whatever the path in front is. When i learned pressure can be a tool for growth and accepted that as part of the process, it allowed a certain freedom.
Q How important is it for you that listeners understand the deeper layers behind your lyrics?
That part isn’t as necessary as I thought it was. I used to put a lot of pressure on myself about whether or not I was living up to a certain lyrical standard. Those years were just a training ground until my process was more formalized to my own style. Part of that is honing in on my own intention and my intention is more to create a world where one feels safe enough to realize their truest self. If that means taking in my lyrics, I’m honored. If you experience my music in a different way and it brings connection, that’s just as valuable. I want to honor that too.
Q Do you write with a specific audience in mind, or is it more of a personal release?
It is a very personal experience. I’m used to doing it alone. But that’s because I use the writing process to make sense of what I feel. Doesn’t mean others aren’t invited. The chemistry will probably have to come into play. As for a specific audience? No. Just those that the music organically finds. It used to be about identity. That evolved into community and that happens when the energy is there and people who carry similar frequencies come together. I can’t always predict how that goes. But I can conjure the frequencies I wish to receive.
Q Looking back at PSYCHE, is there a lyric or idea that feels like the core of the entire project?
“New profit”. Could also be read as “new prophet.” It’s a double entendre I hope doesn’t go untapped. Right after that I say “moonlighting pushing moonrock to the moon goddess” which expands that idea on both paradigms. Moon energy is important.
Q Where do you see your lyrical direction going next after exploring these themes on PSYCHE?
Clipse and Missy Elliott are the north stars of my hometown, the 757, Hampton Roads, Virginia stand up! Wherever I go, it’s always about who I am and what made me.
