The 'Bullshit And Struggles' That Led To Kerser's New Album

The Truth

We thought we’d start it [the album] off with a straight hip hop banger, boom-bap style. I just spat three verses and a chorus and it’s just a confident, I’m still here, dominance track.

C—Town

That was like visualising parties in Campbelltown and what goes on at those parties in Campbelltown and probably in a lot of suburbs across the country. That was more of a party-banger; we thought we’d go from The Truth and keep it upbeat and still have that old Kerser flavour.

"I was on Centrelink, living in a townhouse and just getting, like, the cold shoulder from the industry, not being able to get on gigs and getting cut out of everything."

Lonely At The Top

It’s like explaining my position in rap. The way I came up, without the radio and television and all this marketing, without that I feel like I’m at the top of a different genre. I’m there on my own, ‘cause no one’s done it but me. That’s how I was feeling at the time. When something good happens, I always incorporate it with my lyrics. Any achievements I throw in my lyrics and it makes it so much easier to write. Plus I love to brag [laughs].

Forever

It’s about how the struggles have changed in my life from what they used to be, like it’s not poverty and that anymore, like I’ve moved on to music. Songs like that are controversial and risky if you’re too truthful.

It’s Nothing

I was stoned as when I wrote that one and I got that beat off Nebs [his producer] and… I had that beat just on its own playing for like, a couple of days before I even wrote it. That’s probably one of my favourites on the album. I really like the vibe of it and I haven’t done that style before. It’s kind of slow and I like how that came out.

225 feat. Rates, Jay UF

That has Rates on the first verse – that’s my older brother – and it’s got Jay UF, who’s our best mate who we went to school with on it as well. It was pretty crazy writing that one. We started writing raps together, all of us, years ago when we were teenagers and we actually got to sit down and write that over a few drinks, which we hadn’t done in years so that’s a pretty special song on the album.

Taken Away

I wanted to do a bit of a movie theme and put it in the rap. Like a script from a movie but something that actually… shit that actually does happen. I did it from a male’s point of view and from a female’s as well. ‘Cause I’ve got female fans as well, so you’ve gotta try and broaden your lyrics and write stuff so that they can relate to them [the songs] as well. That was definitely on my mind throughout, not just that song, but the whole album.

Fantastic

When Nebs made that beat, it just had that real gangster sound and yeah, I just enjoyed rapping on that one, I felt really good at the time. I think when I wrote that I’d just come off a festival run and the sold-out S.C.O.T. tour and I was just feeling really good about where I was at in my career.

Underground

I’m still underground, ‘cause I’m not on the TV, I’m not on the radio, but I’m still very well-known. I was trying to explain that [on the track] and I’ve been wanting to do a track like, in that style, for a while and when Nebs did that sample I just thought that was the perfect beat to rhyme on for it.

Smoking Up

That one’s just about kicking back, chopping up and smoking weed [laughs]. It’s just like a bouncy hip hop song to smoke to.

Put Life In Rap

I was on Centrelink, living in a townhouse and just getting, like, the cold shoulder from the industry, not being able to get on gigs and getting cut out of everything. And to where I’m at now, it’s [the song] kind of like a look at me now type thing.

"I’m finally on my way now. I’ve made it past all the bullshit and struggles in my life and I’m on my way."

My Favourite Shit

The tempo from the beat I really enjoyed and I thought I’m gonna do something different so I thought I’d spit the bar and then repeat the last few words of the bar over and over in the verse.  That’s a more light-hearted, Kerser banger.

KING feat. Nebs

Nebs made the beat and straightaway we said this will be the title track, just ‘cause it has that really big, bass sound. We both said ‘fuck it, let’s just go ultra confident on it.’

On My Way

I’m finally on my way now. I’ve made it past all the bullshit and struggles in my life and I’m on my way and I’m trying to bring my crew with me. Instead of going ultra-deep [on the track] it’s like going deep to a certain extent, where you could still play it and sing along in your car without feeling like crying.

Feelin Like

Nebs made the beat and he sent it through and I knew it was gonna be the last track on the album. I was feeling down at the time, you know, I was getting off some substances and it was like everything in life piled into that song.

KING is out Friday 14 November through Obese Records.