Stream: Kelela “Cut 4 Me”

02 Oct 2013 — Andrew Wagner

Kelela and Kingdom’s “Bank Head” is, without a doubt, one of the most breath-taking pieces of music to emerge in 2013. Kingdom’s forward-thinking, futuristic beats found their match in Kelela’s singular and evocative vocal abilities. Kelela’s long-awaited mixtape debut, Cut 4 Me, affirms that “Bank Head” was more than just luck. Armed with a who’s who of Fade to Mind/Night Slugs producers (Kingdom, Bok Bok, Nguzunguzu, Jam City, Girl Unit, Morri$, and NA), Kelela has crafted a mixtape that’s always exciting to listen to, with music that’s at once immediately familiar and unlike anything else. Kelela is something of a chameleon, equally adept at taking on aggressive club music (“Enemy”), sensual R&B (“Go All Night (Let It Burn”), and meditative ballads (“A Lie”). That Cut 4 Me feels cohesive in spite of its diverse array of producers is a testament to Kelela’s talents as a vocalist, which unify the mixtape by crystallizing a fresh and exciting R&B sound. In turn, Cut 4 Me is one of the most imaginative and dazzling pieces of music to be released this year.

Stream Cut 4 Me below. The mixtape can be downloaded for free from Fade to Mind. The mixtape is also available for purchase through iTunes.