Kydd Jones

Brooklyn-based experimental hip hop artist Kydd was selected through Sonicbids to perform at the 10th Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival on July 12, 2014 alongside fellow Sonicbids artist The Audible Doctor and headliners Raekwon and Jay Electronica. It's New York's largest hip hop festival, showcasing the genre's most innovative artists while promoting social change and building community.

Born Randell Jones, he was nicknamed “Kydd” by his older brother because he was the youngest in their hip-hop group, Southern Boys. By age 15, he was picked up by a record label, joined a group called Impact and was performing regularly. In 2009, he won the Austin Hip Hop Award for Best Lyricist of the Year. He is known for his flow, lyrics, great stage presence and performance with a full live band. He has collaborated with acts such as Yelawolf and Kirko Bangz and has played big festivals such as SXSW multiple times.

Below, Kydd tells us more about his hip-hop career and what he's looking forward to most about playing in Brooklyn this weekend.

How and when did you start your hip hop career?
I started in Austin with my brother Tank Washington around age 9. It was just for fun at first, but then we started recording music in our room at age 13, put out our first tape at 14 and joined some other groups after that. We just always had the passion and respect for the music growing up in a home where very diverse songs were being played and heard at a young age, so music just came naturally to us.

What brought you to NYC from Austin, TX?
I wanted to continue building my music in a different environment, network, gain contacts and learn more about the music scene in general. It was really a breath of fresh air, and I felt it helped me to be more active and driven in my career. You have to keep up with the pace of the city, or you will be out of fashion in two days and no one will remember you in a week. You always have to stay relevant and stay working.

How has Sonicbids helped you along the way?
They've given me the opportunity to rock some shows that I had a lot of fun at and meet a lot of cool people.

How did you react when you found out you were selected to play at Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival 2014?
I definitely appreciate the opportunity, and hopefully I can show Brooklyn what's up with where hip hop is headed.

What do you look forward to most about playing this festival?
Just rockin' a crowd with some New York heads and givin' em the down south flavor. I've performed in New York a few times and it's been fun, so I don't expect anything different.

What's your biggest achievement so far in your career?
As an artist, that's a hard question to answer, but definitely rocking Club Nokia and Staples Center with Chuck D and Public Enemy. Ab-soul jumping on stage with me during the Red Bull show at SXSW was crazy too.

What’s an interesting fact people don’t know about you?
I have terrible luck with technology. If Kanye called and needed something, the phone call probably wouldn't go through and my computer would probably crash. (I'd still make it happen, though.)

Do you have any advice for rising artists?
Just grind. It's not easy. Try your best to be original and have good timing.

Anything else about your story that you'd like to add?
My new album GR33D is coming soon! - Sonicbids

KYDD had the crown turnt up to his Austin, Texas sounds. - BET

Kydd Jones: The LNS Crew lead is one of Austin’s top rhymeslingers and an incredible live performer. His moment is now and he knows it. Expect him to hit his own set packing fire and to put in show-stealing guest spots all over town. - Austin360

Eight years ago, when LNS Crew leader Kydd Jones was 17 and just beginning to rap, he and a few friends stepped inside Mohawk to find a venue full of white people.
"Culture shock," he remembers, but the white-out allowed him to change course. "That night I was like, 'No more all-black shows.' I want to be performing to this crowd, to the white people in Austin. Those are the people who are going to shed light."
Jones, a smooth, blunt-happy rapper blessed with a slightly nasal delivery and penchant for producing his own beats, explains this revelation while seated at a picnic table inside Sam's Barbecue. The "need no-teef" smokehouse on East 12th – which white Austin has barred from its eternal conversation about the city's best barbecue – just hosted ace brisket for the MC, his mother – who "knows everybody in here" – and his grandmother. He's a product of black Austin, raised in the 04 until his mom found a place on the Eastside, but he's eyeing the whole city – and a whole lot more.
In December 2012, after a year that saw the release of streetwise The Sounds in My Head, Pt. 2 and The Righteous LP, which featured contributions from Dallas duo A.Dd+, G.O.O.D. Music signee GLC, and more than a few hooks from Atlantic Records' local do-it-all Max Frost, Jones packed his things in Austin and boarded a plane bound for New York City, a not-so-veiled effort to hustle, network, and broaden his horizons.
"It showed me that your grind has to be 24/7/365. Really 25/8/367." Jones asserts. "Everybody has two or three hustles, because you have to have that to maintain a regular lifestyle. It's crazy. You have to be really on top of your shit, and it has to be quality. If you're sleeping two days in New York, you missed out on something major."
Jones returned from his six-month stint having secured feature spots on his next full-length, Gr33d, from Jim Jones, Sean Price, MF Doom, and Chuck D, who didn't rap but contributed a few words of wisdom. The Public Enemy frontman first caught wind of Jones late in 2012 and invited him and his LNS Crew – fellow locals Cory Kendrix, DJ Charlie, and Tank Washington, Jones' brother – out to Los Angeles to open for the legendary rap crew. More recently, in December at a Mohawk show, Chuck took a moment from Public Enemy's set to demand Austin get familiar.
"He told me personally that he loved my music, that he loved my voice," says Jones. "Like, 'I didn't just listen to one track. I listened to your whole project.' He spent time on me. That's crazy." - Austin Chronicle

Last March Kydd released a mixtape entitled Sounds In My Head 2 which had guest features from Yelawolf, GLC, Pac Div and many more. The tape really stamped Kydd’s name onto the music scene and he recently whilst at home had a phone call from Chuck D. Chuck said how much he was feeling the tape and invited Kydd down to Los Angeles to open up for them at the The Hip Hop Gods Tour and also gain some stage experience at Club Nokia. Chuck sat Kydd down and gave him some advice on performing live and then let Kydd loose onto the stage. Kydd who is now living in New York will release his new single Jet Life which features MF DOOM in the very near future. - YouHeardThatNew

Austin, TX is well known on the music map, home to epic festivals and icons of the rock, country and indie scenes. 512 native Kydd Jones looks to add his face to Austin’s music Mount Rushmore, showing out on a yearly basis at SXSW and opening up on tour stops for the likes of Big Sean and Kendrick Lamar. For this installment of Kickstarter, we caught up with Kydd to hear the story behind the pair of sneakers that started it all for him.

Kydd Jones: “My story is kind of PG-13. My mother was incarcerated and I was probably in fourth or fifth grade. The guys down the street asked me to go up the street to be on the lookout for the law and they said they’d give me some money. I did that and just stayed on top of the hill at the neighborhood that I lived at. Like a week later they gave me $200 and I went and got the Air Jordan 13s. Those were the first shoes I bought with my not-so hardworking money (laughs), but that’s what really got me into sneakers. I was probably like 11.”
“The whole thing about me having the Jordans was that my mother was incarcerated and I was living with my grandmother. She couldn’t afford having us in all the nice shoes that my mother kept us in when she was around. Me having those Jordans was a big deal for me. My grandma would have me in some Payless shoes that I never wore, so I just wore these Nike track shoes for a whole year. Once I got these Jordans I was so happy.”
“I don’t remember my shirt the first day I rocked them, but I remember my jeans. I had those JNCOS (laughs) and you could barely even see my shoes. I used to think I was a breakdancer and at the time the breakers around where I was at were wearing the big JNCOs and stuff like that. I was trying to show everybody my Jordans and I had to flip up the JNCOS. My pants were looking really out of there, but my shoes were tight.” - Nice Kicks

Meet Kydd Jones, Austin-/Atlanta-based artist, who is performing at the Art of Rap Festival tour stop in Atlanta for the Swisher Artist Project. Jones will be opening up the show, held at Aaron’s Amphitheater, July 31, for such hip-hop legends as Mobb Deep, Ice-T, Kurtis Blow and more. And today he dropped his new single “M.I.A,” produced by Y2, just in time for his big performance. To be among the first to listen to this joint (before thousands do when he is on stage at Art of Rap), check out his SoundCloud.

When did you first start making music?

When I was 9 or 10, I started freestyling with my older brother. And then we drafted our first songs. We started a group “Southern Boys,” then joined another group and signed to a local label, which led to our first record deal with Sony Red at 14 years old.

Who or What is your Since Day One of your music career?

My “Day One” is my mom and my older brother. My brother and I basically sparred with each other until our swords were as sharp as can be. Smack DVDs and DJ Clue mixtapes, basically the whole nine. It was training camp. He and I crafted everything that is manifesting right now and my mom never said no. She just supported us and our ideas.

What was the moment that your career as an artist started coming together?

I feel like I’m still becoming an artist everyday. But my career in artistry most likely came when I fell in love with music by watching local producers make beats from scratch on MPCs and Tritons. When making music, you feel connected with your community and the people around you. I was like “this is a true art.” It’s powerful.

You have a new album dropping with songs that feature Tory Lanez and Kirko Bangz. Share with us how those collaborations happened!

Well long story short, my guy, who helped me out at the time, hooked up the Tory record for me. I wanted to work with him, so it was cool when he reached out and made it happen. We never really got in the studio together. He emailed over the hook and it was a wrap. It was all business. Shoutout to Lanez and his whole team. Kirko is the homie. Shoutout to the whole LMG camp! Kirko, Scott Pace and I cut around 11 songs (all bangers) in 4 or 5 days while working on Progression 5 — all produced and written within that time. Nine of the joints we did made it on his project. The one on my new mixtape is the one I sent him early on and it has been in the vault since.

What is your advice to an artist just starting out in music?

Learn the music business.

You are performing at the upcoming Art of Rap Festival by Ice-T with some of hip-hop’s old-school greats. Who off that list did you grow up listening to?

Public Enemy, of course. Chuck D has been my mentor and good friend for some years. I’m really blessed to have him in my corner to support me. Ice-T always made me wanna rap and act and be successful doing it, so salute to him! EMPD and Mobb Deep. Ohhh God!!! Legends! I just remember watching them on BET in the basement with Big Tigger thinking I that wanted to spit in the booth one day. That was a dream for a lot of kids. They need to bring Rap City Basement back (amen from the Swisher team), we got too much reality TV nowadays.

What songs are you going to perform on stage?

I’m going to perform tracks from my project “The Sounds In My Head 2” titled “Where Is The Love” along with “Russian Roulette ft. GLC & Tank” and “Texas Heat” from “The Righteous LP.” I’m also performing new songs from my new mixtape like “Honda Everywhere, ” “Alpha Jones” (an unreleased track named after my grandmother) and an untitled track that I always close with.

If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

If I wasn’t making music I would be playing basketball or coaching. Definitely doing something positive for the community.

The Swisher Artist Project has been working with the Art of Rap Festival by Ice-T to present emerging artists in select tour cities on the tour stage. These artists perform along with such hip-hop greats as Naughty By Nature, Mobb Deep, Kurtis Blow and more. In addition, Swisher Sweets is providing chances to win tickets in each festival city. To learn more, visit www.swishersweets.com/artofrap to sign up for a city near you until Aug. 3. - Swisher Sweets

Sean Price lends his talents to Austin-based rapper/producer Kydd Jones' "Blink Away." The bouncy cut, produced by Kydd and Keef (no Chief) will appear on Kydd's upcoming GR33D LP. Stream below. - 2dopeboyz

This Austin, TX native has racked up quite a resume since 2012, recording songs with likes of Yelawolf, Skyzoo, GLC and A.Dd+ to name a few. Kydd is a five-time SXSW Showcase artist who performed in 2012 at the XXL SXSW Showcase. He has also had the opportunity to perform at A3C for Red Bull’s Soundstage, the 2014 10th Anniversary Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival. Check out his new joint via All Def Digital, a Russ Simmons project thats constantly releasing hiqh quality dope content. - AllHipHop

Previously writing and producing for Kirko Bangz, Kydd Jones releases his own single titled "Nothing To Play With." This is a heavy uptempo banger with production provided by Brandon Blanco. Kydd's out to take over the summer and fall by dropping records until the release of his next mixtape, "GR33D." - HipHopDX

You Know, soul meshes well with Hip Hop, and this cut by Kydd and Pac Div, called “Now and Then” brings the two together beautifully. The Texas bred Kydd comes correct on the first verse on this well put together track about partying. Pac Div, it goes without saying, spits pure fire on top of the soul sampled “Now and Then”.

Kydd has been climbing the ladder of Hip Hop recently, working with The Cool Kids and Pac Div, even touring with Big Sean, this Kydd is definitely someone to keep an eye on in the coming year. Check out “Now and Then” after the jump and let us know what you think. - StupidDope

Austin, Tx really has a lot of talent and Kydd is another fine example of this. I first heard Kydd on a song with Yelawolf called Hall Pass off his last album that came out in March called The Sounds In My Head Pt?.?2 and was impressed, but I admit I kind of slept on it. So when my good buddy Spz Chaote put me on him few weeks ago it all came back to me and I went back and listened to both albums and I have to say this guy has lots of talent and I’m highly impressed. His newest project is called The Righteous LP and has a bunch of super legit features from the likes of Western Tink, GLC, Stunnaman 2800, Worldwide, LNS Crew, and A.Dd+ on it, but that’s not to take away anything from the star of the album which is Kydd.

This guy has mad flow and tons of lyrical content and I really enjoy all of the music throughout the whole album. It has a real hip-hop feel to it and all the production is top-notch and perfect for the end of the summer. I really dig the song “Nice and Slow” ft. Max Frost on vocals and bass, it had a real chill vibe to it when I bumped it at the pool recently. Kydd also produced a few tracks on here and he is equally as talented in that area as well since he’s been making beats since he was 15 to rap on. My favorite song on the album was produced by him and it features TwoEight, aka Stunnaman from the pack and it really has a nice southern hip-hop vibe to it and has a beautiful chorus. Do not sleep on on him because he’s definitely on the rise!!! This album represents his new state of mind and letting people know he’s not going anywhere. - MishkaNYC

This past weekend, Austin’s Kydd Jones performed at the Billboard Hot 100 Music Festival and in light of this major move, he dropped off a new single titled, “Still Spinning.” Produced by Scott Pace, Keef and Kydd himself, the single is set to appear on his upcoming album ’GR33D’.

“The song was recorded the eve of my birthday and was sort of a premonition of things to come. That night, I got way too faded and woke up still spinning.” – Kydd Jones - Boi-1da.net

Austin rapper Kydd brings a strong set to the Hot 100 Fest, although the crowd -- consisting of mostly teenaged Beliebers camped out for hours to catch Justin up close and personal -- is probably not what he's used to. When he asks them "do you fuck with that trill shit?" the Beliebers gamely cheer, but chances are slim they're fucking with trill shit on a regular basis. - Billboard

In the mood for something a little different? You can file this one under "real hip hop," if you're one of those kids. Kydd is rapper from Austin, Texas, who has collaborated with the likes of Yelawolf and Pac Div in the past. Between the lyrics, flow, and production, Kydd keeps it pretty indie-hip hop with his new 'Righteous' mixtape. - Masked Gorilla

Listen to Hall Pass , the latest track from Yelawolf, featuring Kydd. The cut dropped on Saturday, November 5th, 2011. Yelawolf's future brightens with every new release, and Hall Pass certainly isn't an exception. It's a fitting addition to a solid catalogue that Yelawolf has been developing since stepping foot in the game. We're excited to hear more. - HotNewHipHop

Plenty of rappers say they’re dedicated to the hustle but, when you get down to it, relatively few are willing to put their lives on the line. On the lead single off his next studio album, Booth newcomer Kydd shows just how determined (and crazy) he is by sitting down with three homies for a rousing game of Russian Roulette. Here, Click Clack‘s pensive boardwork sets the mood as the Austin, Texas emcee, spits bars alongside LNS crewmates Tank (not to be confused with the R&B veteran) and Chicago staple GLC. Singer/songwriter Max Frost handles the hook. While Kydd’s next LP has yet to receive either a title or drop date, those who like what they’re hearing can keep it locked for the latest leading up to its arrival next month. - DJBooth

It’s been a minute since we last checked in with Dallas duo A.Dd+, but please believe them dudes are still working. They have one of the best live shows I’ve seen of this younger generation of emcees, and they’re showing a side of their music that’s new to me with their feature on Kydd‘s track, “The Masons.” The controversial new video from Austin emcee, Kydd, appears on his LP, The Righteous. Some are sure to take offense, but I think the song’s purpose is more so to get you to think about what you believe in, as opposed to telling you what to believe in (the second and third verses make the message more clear), but interpret it as you will. Growing up a big Bone Thugs-N-Harmony fan, clearly I fux with this ish. Watch it, below. Kydd’s next album, GR33D, will be coming in 2014, and let’s hope A.Dd+ has some new ish in the pipeline too. - Okayplayer

Austin, Texas' own Kydd is yet another youngin' on his grind. With his highly anticipated mixtapes The Sounds In My Head Pt. 2 set to drop March 13th, Kydd drops the visuals for his track "Now and Then" featuring west coast headliners Pac Div. This song is smooth and Kydd kills the hooks with a melodic chorus, and as always, the Pacific Division boys do their thing on the beat. Also, Kydd has teamed up with Yelawolf to create "Hall Pass", another awesome cut of off his mixtape, so give these tracks a listen and look out for The Sounds In My Head Pt. 2 on March 13; and enjoy. - EarMilk

Austin, Texas isn’t exactly known as a hotbed for hip-hop and R&B-leaning aesthetics, but Kydd Jones has been proving those unfamiliar with the locale wrong as of late with a string of talented collaborations on the production side that have seen him team up with Killa Kyleon and Kirko Bangz, among others. Here though, we get a look at Kydd on the other side of things as he waxes poetic over taking one’s time on the premiere of his ethereal new single, “Patience.”

This piece arrives in the midst of seemingly incessant rainy days recently and fits almost too perfect for grey skies and days kicking it around the crib with one’s thoughts. It’s also a smooth entrance from Austin’s very own. Falling into line with a sort of new-age R&B vibe that we’ve seen from acts like Appleby and Corbin, Jones just might be on to something here. Check out the full track below and expect more as Kydd prepares for his GR33D release later this year. - Uproxx

Tonight's Santos Party House show sees rappers from Houston, Austin and San Antonio on the bill: Doughbreezy, KYDD, League of Extraordinary Gz, World Wide, Grit Boys and more. - The Village Voice

Last week, Red Bull Sound Select was in Austin for a Scoremore Shows-curated concert at Empire Control Room.
It began with opening performances by two Austin artists, Kydd Jones and Feathers. The former, a rapper and producer, has been on the scene for a few years now, and his most recent studio album is titled 'The Righteous LP.' The latter, an electronic pop group led by Anastasia Dimou, recently performed at Red Bull Sound Select: 30 Days In LA and dropped the 'Only One' EP earlier this year.
The headliner, all the way from Sweden, was up-and-coming, viral sad rapper Yung Lean. He brought his friends, the Sad Boys, along too. His popular mixtapes, 'Unknown Death 2002' and 'Unknown Memory,' have earned him attention from both 'The New Yorker' and Pitchfork. Check out some photos from the show below. - Red Bull USA

The annual South by Southwest Music Festival is the breeding ground for all different genres of music. Each year thousands of artists come to Texas to perform at SXSW, many in hopes that the right person is in the crowd. SXSW is a major lure some of the top minds in the music industry who are in search of the next big thing.

“The whole celebrity thing is weird, I don’t feel like a celebrity, I just feel like I have a lot of friends now,” Kydd (Randell) Jones said.

The Austin-native still introduces himself as Randell, but most people know him by his stage name—Kydd Jones.

“Kid” is what people called him when he first broke into Austin’s hip-hop scene, he was 15 then but the nickname stuck with him.

Now 27, and in his seventh year at SXSW, Jones is listed as one of the artists to watch, expected to be one of the next big names in music.

“Yea, some would say that,” Jones said with a laugh.

He can tell this year is different, people recognize him when he’s out with his friends and more people can sign along at his shows. “It’s an unexplainable feeling” Jones said.

The hip-hop artist is known for his smooth voice and inventive lyrics. “It’s real life, real issues,” Jones said many of his songs are inspired by his life in Texas. He moved to Atlanta about six months ago but he still considers Texas to be home.

He’s scheduled to play nine shows during the five-day festival and his local fans are anxious to see him while they can—before he hits the big time.

“It’s just really humbling,” Jones said. It’s a fun and exciting time for him and his family, but you can tell he’s not celebrating his successes just yet. Jones seems too focused to let his growing celebrity status slow his momentum or distract him from his music.

He’s toured with and opened for stars like Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber, but now Jones is ready to be the headliner.
“I’m nowhere where I want to be,” Jones said. He wants to be a superstar, “So I’m just going to keep striving and trying to open doors for more musicians coming from Austin.”

Jones said it’s a relief that he can make a living by doing what he loves, especially after some people told him that could never happen. “My mom was my biggest supporter, and with her behind me I can do anything,” Jones said. His mom lives still lives in Texas and she attends so many shows, Jones’ fans have started to recognize her.

The festival transforms the state’s capital city into a launch pad that could sky rocket artists to stardom.

Katy Perry, Norah Jones, The Strokes and The White Stripes are just a handful of big names to get their big break at SXSW.

“It’s grown like a bad weed, it’s gone crazy, it’s huge, it’s everywhere,” Redd Volkaert said. The 58-year-old has spent the last 40 years in the music business and he said SXSW is the “ultimate” place to gain exposure. Volkaert said, “Where else can you be seen by that many people?”

Volkaert performs at the historic Continental Club in Austin once a week and that’s where he’ll play during SXSW.

“Oh I’m probably the luckiest guy on the planet. I get to rub the paint off a guitar neck and stay alive doing it,” Volkaert said.

Over the last 40 years the guitar player has shared the stage with some of the biggest names in country music and that’s about as far as he wants his fame to go.

“I’m not shooting for any kind of star with that kind of situation for my own band,” Volkaert said.

For him, the festival as a way to broaden his audience and keep him busy at shows throughout the year—but he doesn’t feel the same pressure the young, up-and-comers do.

Volkaert said, “If people are dancing and liking it and enjoying it than that the goal of the whole thing in the first place.”

Jones agrees—the music and the fans are most important, he just hopes to reach the masses under a much bigger spotlight. - KXAN News

Austin, Texas Rappers Who Rep: Kydd, Zeale 32 - VIBE Magazine

Kydd Jones gets interviewed by Red Bull and talks about his early years as a up-and-coming rapper and the growth of hip hop back in Austin, TX. He also talks about working with big name artists and his collaborations as far as Yelawolf, GLC, Pac Div, and Skyzoo. - LNS Crew Blog

Austin’s never been known as a hip-hop town. It’s had plenty of rappers grinding over the years, but when it comes to reputation, it’s no Houston. Heck, it’s not even Dallas. But the LNS Crew—made up of rappers Tank Washington, Kydd Jones, and Cory Kendrix—have been representing the city for years. And though the group have since gone nationwide (Jones moved to Atlanta, Kendrix to Denver), Washington remains in Texas.

As Washington prepared the release of his most recent album, Pain, earlier this year, he and younger brother Jones knew they had to pay tribute to the man who raised them right off the bat: Jones sent Washington a beat he’d made about a month before their father died of lung cancer, and Washington heard in it something that captured his family’s emotions.

“My dad died of lung cancer, and this is my way of letting it go and saying farewell and R.I.P. to him,” Washington explains of the song, which he recorded a month after their father passed. He and producer Scott Pace were in the studio when he found the track. “I started going through some of Kydd’s beats that I had. I’m a fan of soulful samples with Southern drums, and so when I heard the beat, I definitely felt inspired,” he says. “As strange as it seems now, at first I thought I would write a song about women over the beat—but Scott encouraged me to come up with something more unique, so I dug deeper in my emotions to come up with the hook.”

In the video for the song, presented exclusively by Texas Monthly, Washington embodies that feeling, walking among the tombstones and pouring out a bottle as he recounts the lessons learned from his father over Jones’s low-key beat and stuttering drums.

“What’s crazy is that a lot of people actually slept on that beat,” Jones says. “I met back up with Tank after coming down to Austin for our father’s funeral, but the track didn’t end up getting cut until after I went back to Atlanta. I didn’t really think that it would become the type of song that Tank made it into, but it was dope. I probably teared up a little. The song felt perfect, and meant to be, so we ran with it.” - Texas Monthly

Kydd Jones opened the show with a high-energy set, -topic followed with a snack-sharing performance (no, really, he tossed bags of chips into the crowd) and AD.d+ came next, offering up a typically high-energy set that included stage-dives. As we said then, more or less: It was a grand ol' time -- and emphasis on the "grand" part, too, especially in reference to size. Y'all packed that mother out.

In the meantime, recall the glory of last week's showcase in the below video. If you were there, it'll be just like living through the best parts of it, all over again. And if you weren't? I guess we'll see you at some future ones, yeah? - Central Track

The talent and influence of Austin-based rapper Kydd Jones is catching ears everywhere, performing at Club Soda on September 28th for POP Montreal along with Houston rapper Fat Tony and rap posse Alaclair Ensemble. The Canadian festival’s hip-hop bill includes underground heavyweights such as Killer Mike, Chali 2na from Jurassic 5, Sole of Anticon Records and more. - GrooveLovesMelody

LNS Crew – 11:55, Blue Stage. Some of the most hyped and talented young hip-hop talents from the Live Music Capital have teamed up together to form a new crew of MC’s. The leading stars here are Kydd Jones and Cory Kendrix, both of whom have been making waves for a little while now, but PacBoiTank and Deezie Fresh are no slouches either. Sky’s the limit for this bunch. - Ovrld

It’s becoming a challenge for me to keep up with this dude, Kydd. I don’t know if it is simply his work ethic, or great marketing for his project, “The Righteous LP,” dropping July 31st. Either way, the word of the week, month, and year is still “work!” He links up with Max Frost once again to produce a more “nice and slow” joint for the ladies, but nothing less than dope. - Greedmont Park

The 10th annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival is a few short weeks away, and it’s time to announce our #ShowAndProve/Sonicbids finalists. Each year we select the freshest underground talent to join veteran headliners on the BHF roster. This year we snagged two up-and-coming artists who proved their potential as the next big names in hip-hop.

Choosing the finalists was a selective process. The artists were hand-picked to exemplify the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival’s ten year legacy, and Wes Jackson, BHF founder and director emphasized this saying:

“We’re always looking for new and exciting artists that can be an example to other young artists both artistically and professionally. Both Kydd Jones and The Audible Doctor’s packages were professional and their music was dope. With it being the 10th anniversary, we like bringing The Audible Doctor back as a solo artist, as his group The Brown Bag AllStars have already performed at the Festival in previous years. Kydd was a fresh new sound and energy that struck as soon as we heard. This is a big year. We look forward to these two guys carrying on the tradition of show and prove and the festival.”

Check out Kydd Jones and The Audible Doctor online and get hip to these up-and-coming artists. We’re glad to give them the opportunity to rock the mic at the 10th anniversary of the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival. - Brooklyn HipHop Festival

Hands down Austin’s own finest rapper, Kydd has attracted some noteworthy collaborations with the likes of Yelawolf and Pac Div. What’s more is that he is the stand-out on these tracks, not the side act. After you listen to his song “Hall Pass” with Yelawolf, you’ll find it amazing that that anyone who that raps like that isn’t already wildly famous. - The Daily Texan

Up and coming Austin artists Max Frost and Kydd came together to create "Sunday Driving" a bluesy, hip hop-laden ode to the time-honored tradition of the lazy Sunday. The two cruise through town in a Bentley convertible (hijacked from the Uchiko valet) picking up a diverse cast of characters along the way that includes a priest, young women, old women, Patrick Terry (of P. Terry's), dogs, homies from the neighborhood, etc. The video was directed by Austin-born filmmaker Jordan Haro.

Max Frost is a native Austinite, guitar player, and singer/songwriter. Learned at the Austin School of Music, he began his career as a member of the award-winning teen group Joyride, then became co-front man of Blues Mafia, and has since toured and written songs with fiddle prodigy Ruby Jane Smith. He's done many collaborations with Austin-born MC Randell Jones, aka "Kydd Jones" who won an Austin Hip Hop Award for Best Lyricist Of The Year in 2009. Kydd has also done collaborations with some of the heavy hitters in the new movement of hip-hop, from “Fly Society” to Pac Div to The Cool Kids to Yelawolf. - Covert Curiosity

Kydd Jones + Cory Kendrix + Deejay Charlie live at the SXSW XXL Official Showcase - 7Daily

Saturday: Any one of the LNS Crew's charismatically blunted core MCs – Kydd Jones, Cory Kendrix, or Tank Washington – would've been a suitable solo pick for the Chronicle's annual hip-hop Cookout at Scoot Inn, but their powers combined made for a show-stopping sunset performance, which peaked with Jones starting a one-man mosh pit. - Austin Chronicle

Kydd: Randell Jones a.k.a. Kydd has been living in New York for the last few months working on his new album “Greed,” which is scheduled to drop with a lead single featuring MF Doom by early summer. But the rapper, born and raised in South Austin, exemplifies our city about as well as anyone out there. His style is laid back but clear-spoken. Funky and fun.

His track “Now and Then” off the 2012 release “Sounds In My Head pt. 2,” references copious amounts of weed and alcohol and a frantic scramble to clean the janky band house. It’s pretty much the perfect Austin hip-hop party song.

“Just another day/Austin stay weird,” Kydd raps.

Jones has spent a good portion of the last couple years on the road, on tours with Yelawolf, Big Sean and the Cool Kids among others. His current relocation to NYC is primarily to reach out, to build more contacts and gain exposure, but eventually he hopes to move home.

In Jones’ mind the Austin hip-hop scene has no definitive sound.

“Really we’re just trying to get a definite look. Trying to get people to hear us,” he says.

But when he takes the stage at SXSW he plans to represent his city, “the cool accepting feel that we have here, the live music feel.” He describes his sound as “energetic, hip-hop based and funky.” In all likelihood, the Austin hip-hop sound, sounds a lot like Kydd. (10:55 p.m. Saturday at StubHub Live at Old School.)

— Deborah Sengupta Stith - Austin-American Statesman

Brand new visuals from my homie Sertified out tha ATX. Reppin that Die Slo camp, Sertified teams up with Kydd Jones of the LNS Crew to make a fresh dope track, askin the question we are all dying to be answered. CAN I GET SOME PEACE WHERE I LIVE?!?! - DirtyGloveBastard

About this video:
Artist: Kydd feat. A.Dd+
Song: "The Masons"
Producer: Kydd
Album: The Righteous LP
Director: Grind Life Films - OnSMASH

If you’ve been paying attention to the NXNE schedulizer, you’ve probably noticed the fact that we’ve got a lot of great hip hop on offer. Whether it’s established names or the up-and-coming MCs your after, there’s definitely enough to fill your music-going time.

One of those showcases comes all the way from Atlanta’s A3C festival.

Based off the concept of the A3C x SXSW Showcase that happened earlier this year, The Best In Show shines a light on several independent artists from North American markets. This showcase also marks the first time A3C is crossing the border into Canada, bringing along A3C’s own history, values, and talent. This showcase also symbolizes building bridges between the American and Canadian markets and developing relationships that benefit unsigned artists on both sides of the border.

It takes place at the Studio Bar on Friday, June 20, with artists from across the United States and Canada. Trust us: turn up ’cause it’s going to be good.

Kydd Jones (Austin, TX) - Laid-back and clear-spoken, Kydd Jones' hometown weekly, the Austin Chronicle, describes him as a "local mainstay with clever lyrics and a smooth delivery," as well as saying he recalls a more casual Kanye West. - NXNE

Kydd and ADD+ bring some swanging illuminati for your mind soul and body. - Passionweiss

A3C repeat performer and SonicBids Winner Kydd Jones took some time out to chat with the homie and talk about the GR33D LP.

Safari Jeffries: How would you describe the content you put out?

Kydd Jones: I would definitely describe it as “good music.”

Safari: Where are you from? How did it influence your musical style?

Kydd Jones: I’m from Austin, TX the live music capital of the world. I grew up listening to every type of music in my city because everybody comes here. In the streets you’ll hear rock, electronic, blues, punk, and of course hiphop.

Safari: If you were stranded in the desert and there were 3 items that you could have, what would they be and how would they be used?

Kydd Jones: Solar panel with USB plugs, my computer to make beats and my cell phone. I’m a figure the rest out myself.

Safari: Tell us about the Righteous LP. Where did the concept come about?

Kydd Jones: The Righteous LP came out because I wanted to show the righteous young kid in a world full of greed. It was a progression from my last album in that I got back to my Southern hip-hop roots.

Safari: Why is A3C Important to you and Important to the Culture?

Kydd Jones: A3C is very important to me and to the hiphop culture because it’s one of the largest hiphop festivals in the world and it tries to include every style and genre of hiphop which is great for emcees and producers to hear new sounds and network.

Safari: What should we expect from you at the 2014 A3C Festival?

Kydd Jones: To be THAT dude. I’ll be putting myself out there with a highly energetic set with lots of crowd participation and definitely want to network with as many people as possible.

Safari: Since A3C, how has your Career been affected? What Milestones have you achieved?

Kydd Jones: Since my last performance at A3C in 2012, a lot has happened. I performed with Chuck D and Public Enemy in LA for the Hip Hop Gods Tour, opened up for Danny Brown in Austin during SXSW, and opened for Jay Electronica and Raekwon at the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival 10th anniversary show. I even did a show in Canada at the A3C event for NXNE a few months ago.

Safari: Where do you see the Hip Hop Culture in the next 5 years?

Kydd Jones: Weird as fuck, the game is changing everyday and we might be going back to the early 2000s style of music with trap and whatnot. Sometimes it seems like wack music is in or that’s what is promoted a lot of the time but I’ll be making good music regardless.

Safari: What up-coming projects are on the horizon?

Kydd Jones: My new album GR33D is coming out this year so make sure to cop that!

Safari: If the fans want to connect with you, how can they reach out?

Kydd Jones: Follow me on Instagram, @kyddXX and on Twitter at @KyddJones. If you’re on Facebook, send me a friend request or like my Facebook page - A3C Blog

ATX continues to deliver note-worthy artists as one of our Capitol City favs finally returns with a taste from his new project. Kydd follows up his 2012 releases, Sounds In My Head 2 (featuring among others, Yelawolf, Pac Div and Skyzoo) and The Righteous LP (which featured GLC, A.Dd+, Stunnaman and more), with his new self-produced single “Sensitive.” A little board assistance from Keef combines for a track that couples Kydd’s notorious rhyme scheme with a flow that is all-Kydd-errything with a little twist of angression. I’m not mad at it though.

Kydd’s new album GR33D will be released late this summer with appearances from such talents as MF DOOM, Sean Price, Hit-Boy and more. - Chan-Lo.com

There’s a thing about hype and all the different manifestations of it. Some of it is rather annoying and leads to nothing but a ton of hot air being thrown into something we all know is going to land with a resounding thud and others deserve every bit of press, credit and adulation given to them. It’s a pendulum swing and some either succeed at it or fail.

Kydd, he of two solid projects in 2012 and scatter shot singles here and there this year understands this considerably. Hence why there was no real fanfare behind his latest release Anunnaki as it’s a 14-track dig into the mind of the artist somewhere beginning around 2008 and landing around 2012. Plenty of the edges are definitely rough from the high pitched joy of “Come Back” to the drowsy thump of “Cash Rules” but there’s enough there to realize there a ton of ideas that never fully got over the hump but found a rather exact niche. The fun thing about Anunnaki is that it’s Kydd experimenting with a ton of different producers, one of them notably being Ricuqo Jones on “The Leaders” who despite running into a MF Doom-esque hiding spot seems to pop up when necessary. The only beat Kydd keeps strictly to himself is “Lz Lounge”, twinkling inside of a low-fi boomp bap haze.

Some projects don’t need a giant roll out, some just need to be stumbled upon and spread from word of mouth. - DayAndADream.com

The 2011 JanSport Bonfire Sessions in Austin, Texas at Lustre Pearl. The outdoor concert featured music by local psychedelic rock band The Black Angels. Commercial features artists Kydd Jones and Max Frost. - Jansport

Austin's Kydd, a regular to these sort of things added a sense of vitality to the standby solo rap set, nasally at times but more than potent enough to cut through timeless instrumentals such as "Nas Is Like" and "I Get Around" without fail or even a minor slip. Even the woozy song he had with West Coast trio Pac Div (performed sans Pac Div of course) was delightful. Almost in a "I Can Rap Double Time Or Mono-Flow, Pick One and I'll Kill You With It" sort of way. - The Houston Press

When you think of cities in the US that serve as the major arteries to the hip-hop scene, some might claim Brooklyn, others Chicago, and you’ll get some hands in the air for Atlanta, too. One city that doesn’t immediately come to mind would be Austin, but Kydd Jones is about to change all that.
So you started performing in clubs at what, 15? But you’d actually been signed to a label in your early teens. How did you get started so quickly?

Me and my brother had started a group when we were about 9. I was 9 he was about 10, and we just progressed and kept at it until we were about 14 and 15 and we joined this other group, and shortly after that we got signed. I don’t know, just being teens and having that energetic vibe. And we had some older cats managing us at the time and they guided us along the right path.

Are you still making music with your brother today?

Yeah, I still make music with my brother. He’s a part of the movement that I’m doin’ right now, LNS Crew. He’s my right hand man, him and Cory [Kendrix].

What made you first want to go into making music?

What really made me want to pursue it was being super young, probably like 9 or 10, somewhere around that age, my older brother, Tank [Washington], had been freestylin’ and rappin’ or whatever you wanna call it around the Boys & Girls Club we were going to in South Austin. I’d be in the gym playing basketball, not even really caring about what he was doing until he started getting really good at it. He started getting crowds around him while he was just playin’ around with his freestyle and this little thing we call rapping. At that age we didn’t really know what we were doin’, he was just doin’ it and that’s when I realized, “Wow, my brother’s really good at this, lemme see what I can do.”

What kind of effect did growing up in Austin have on you as an artist?

I think it’s pretty unique if only because of the live music aspect of Austin, and just bein’ able to mesh all the different styles of music that come from here into one sound for me in hip-hop. When I grew up I got to experience everything from rock, to punk rock, to country, to alternative, and hip-hop on top of all that in this great melting pot of music.

What are you working on now?

Well right now I’m workin’ on my project 'Greed,' and me and my bro that I’m workin’ closely with, Keith – he lives in Dallas, so I’ve been sendin’ him stem files of tracks I’ve been workin’ on and he checks ‘em out and he gives me his opinion on ‘em. He might add a sample or add a track to it, stuff like that.

The track we just worked on today is a track called 'You Niggas,' and it’s basically this political track talking about greed and how the quote unquote “you niggas” should be aware of what’s goin’ on in the world and to not be so naïve to what’s goin’ on with our government, and the different situations they’ve inflicted upon us to hold us back, and to acknowledge that, but to also make sure you don’t let it hold you back in what you’re doing and to keep your eyes open.

Tell me more about 'Greed.'

'Greed' is socially conscious but it’s socially conscious in so many different ways. I’m giving you aspects of a neighborhood kid seeing his neighborhood ruined, and also having to survive in his neighborhood by ruining his neighborhood. Seeing the drug dealing goin’ on, his mother bein’ a drug dealer, his friend bein’ a drug dealer, him still tryin’ to be positive, but with him still bein’ a stoner and tryin’ to be eccentric and survive in this madness that he was born into. That’s the tone of it, it’s greed in the sense that it’s coming soon but also that it’s already here and we’re living with it every day. Just so many shades of gray. - Red Bull Sound Select

Red Bull Skooled brought together five up-and-comers in the Texas rap industry (A.Dd+, The Niceguys, Worldwide, Kydd Jones and DJ Sober) with legends in the game (Bun B, Mannie Fresh, Paul Wall, Cold Chris, Michael 5000 Watts, Chingo Bling, and Nancy Byron) for a six-city tour across the Lone Star State.

On the road, between cities, these legends turned mentors “skooled” their “pupils” on how to stay relevant, how to market yourself, tape distribution strategies, and much more. - Tha Fixx

Kydd‘s new offering isn’t the first “Russian Roulette” of the year (Chief Keef and Fat Trel teamed up for a collaboration of the same name earlier in the year), but it’s easily in running for the best. Over some bouncing, funk-infused production, the Austin native links with veteran Chicagoan emcee GLC and fellow LNS (Leaders of the New Skool) members Max Frost and Tank, who’s been experiencing a wealth of success himself...

“Russian Roulette” serves as the first leak from Kydd’s forthcoming project, due out next month. You can catch up on his previous release The Sounds In My Head 2, featuring Yelawolf, Pac Div and Skyzoo, right here. - Soul Culture

Local hip-hop act Kydd Jones is opening up for Mos Def aka Yasiin Bey at Emo’s East on Tuesday, October 30. He recently stopped by Studio 1A to remind us that Austin has a vibrant hip-hop scene, that is too good to be overlooked. - KUTX 98.9

#16 Austin Rap Song of All-Time: "Jungle" by Kydd (2010)
Short but sweet, "Jungle" finds Kydd taking us on a beautifully jangly tour of Austin. The beat by Haris Qureshi conjures a boom bap steez for Kydd to completely own with a single continuous verse. - TexasRapps

TRUE: You are a rapper, producer, singer, and songwriter. How do you balance all 3? Which one of them is more fulfilling to you and why?

KJ: It’s really not a balancing act, it’s more of just how I feel at the moment. I’m not trying to force anything and so if I produce, it’s because I had that urge. If I’m singing, it’s because that’s how I want to express myself. I really can’t say which one is more fulfilling, I just want to make good music. However I do that and get that emotion out of my brain, I’m happy.

TRUE: Being from Austin, Texas do you find that there are benefits to being from a town where no rapper has ever blew up coming from? Why do you think people tend to overlook talent from parts of the country that they are not familiar with?

KJ: I feel like there’s not really a true benefit. Since no one has gotten big in the Austin hiphop scene, it’s harder to have someone give you that platform than it is in other cities. The only benefit I feel is that I’m hopefully helping to set up a scene that when people do start paying attention, I might be one of the first ones who they think of. I think part of the reason we get overlooked is because there’s not really much hype or big name cosigns or big marketing budgets. It’s all raw and based on the music because that’s where we come from.

TRUE: Do you create most of your music through the full process a lot of the times? Where you rap, write, sing, and produce it? Do you find it hard to work with other people because you do all of those aspects of music?

KJ: I like to create the full product myself but I’m not opposed to working with other producers or writers. I’ve always liked working with different individuals that may be more talented than me in certain aspects of music and who can inspire me with a certain sound at that moment.

TRUE: How was it being selected by Chuck D to open for the Hip Hop Gods tour in LA? How did he end up hearing your music and contacting you?

KJ: It was an honor to be selected by Chuck D. It was awesome to be able to open up for him. I was selected by him from a handful of artists picked by Red Bull and he chose me so … I guess real recognize real.

TRUE: How is the album Gr33d coming along? What is the concept behind it and do you have a certain formula that you will be following?

KJ: The album is coming along great, hopefully I can release it early summer. The concept is the greed and politics that we deal with in our everyday lives… the lower levels of greed that are below the surface, that we don’t really think about but it exists everywhere in our society and that now we can’t do anything without it either. I’m really just trying to lock in the music and production that I want now and just adding more paint to the canvas.

TRUE: What got you started in rapping and music? How did you find out that you could do all that you can do?

KJ: Well, I’ve always been raised around music in the south so I’ve always been around singing and rapping and stuff like that. I started rapping at age nine. Me and my brother Tank started a group soon afterwards and we started taking it seriously around the age 14. We needed beats to rap on and we didn’t even know what a producer was so I had to make beats at the age of fifteen just because we didn’t have anything else to go on.

TRUE: Who has been behind your career since day 1 that is still behind you today?

KJ: My mom and my older brother Tank.

TRUE: What do you prefer the most, preforming on stage in front of the crowd, or creating the music in the studio? why one over the other?

KJ: I like both and can’t really say neither more than the other. I love creating great music in the studio, and love seeing the reactions people have when I perform live. Part of the reason we do what we do is so we can connect with fans before and after the show and express ourselves instead of keeping it bottled up all the time. Being able to connect the dots in that way really makes the creative process that much more enjoyable.

TRUE: Give us one of your most memorable experiences in the studio, who was there and what happened?

KJ: When I was hanging out with Bun B in the studio for the Red Bull Texas Skooled Tour and we all did an old school Houston/DJ Screw freestyle cypher session. I think the video for that is on Youtube still.

TRUE: Tell TRUE magazine fans something about you personally that you have never revealed to anyone else?

KJ: If I’m not making music on my laptop, I’m probably spending my nights watching weird Netflix documentaries. I became a movie junkie when I was young just being in the studio all the time, looking for inspiration. So now I just watch crazy movies that run my friends out of whatever room I’m in.

TRUE: What artists inspired you the most during your beginning stages of getting into music? What are your top 3 albums of all time?

KJ: Nas – Illmatic. Lauryn Hill – Miseducation. Kanye – College Dropout. When I first started - TRUE Magazine

Austin emcee, producer and Red Bull Sound Select artist Kydd Jones produces uniquely lyrical, yet catchy, compositions that toe the line between R&B and hip-hop. (We recently chronicled Jones on Local Bands You Should be Listening To | Vol. 7.) Hailed for his lyrical ingenuity, this talented rapper and singer-songwriter has collaborated with an impressive array of artists and has performed for festival crowds at the likes of SXSW and Fun Fun Fun Fest. - Do512Blog

Earlier this year, Kydd Jones got a call from Public Enemy No. 1 Chuck D, who invited the Austin-born MC to come out to L.A. and open for the rap legends. Jones, a local mainstay with clever lyrics and a smooth delivery, used the opportunity to soak up some career advice from one of the genre's great minds. "We talked about the stages of hip-hop. How each step an artist takes is also a stage and, as you go further in a beneficial way, your stage grows," recalled Jones. "Just meeting him, that was a stepping stone too, because now people are noticing me. After all, he's in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. That's huge." Lately, Kydd's been in New York working on Gr33d, a concept album that takes greed and politics into a personal light. "The lower levels of greed that are below the surface – that we don't really think about – they exist everywhere in our everyday lives," Jones explained. The album, due out this year, features a collaboration with MF Doom. Kydd performs tonight on a bill including choice hip-hop artists Casey Veggies and Big K.R.I.T. - The Austin Chronicle

While many may be unfamiliar with Austin-born rapper Kydd, he's set to make his name known with the release of his upcoming mixtape, Sounds in My Head Part 2. The first single off the project entitled "Hall Pass" features a verse from Shady Records emcee Yelawolf, and is definitely going to get the kid noticed. The head-bobbing beat is produced by David Escamilla Jr. Feel free to checkout Kydd's website for the latest information, and leave your thoughts and comments down below. - HypeTrak

What prompted your start for your career path?

I started freestyling with my older brother around 9, started another group called Southern Boy Entertainment with him when I was 11, and then joining with a local group called Impac when I was 15.

Who first recognized your talents and what it meant to you?

My older brother Tank, which meant a lot because he was the first rapper that I looked up to.

First problem you have come across?

Dealing with janky promoters and janky management.

As an up and coming artist what was it that you seen that you needed to improve on?

I needed to put out more material than other people, make it better quality than other people, and also put it out faster than other
people.

How will you make an impact given a chance?

I will give back to my community of Austin TX by opening after school musical activities for children who were in similar circumstances as myself and my family.

Why should people take notice in your work?

Because I’m the shit. Point. Blank. Period. - Jenesis Magazine

Kydd Jones wasted no time following up this spring's The Sounds in My Head, Pt. 2 mixtape, releasing The Righteous LP with guest spots from longtime Kanye West affiliate GLC, Dallas duo A.Dd+, San Antonio's Worldwide, and a slew of local talent. Tracks like "Russian Roulette," "The Masons," and "Too Thoed," which samples James Blake's bedroom dubstep, demonstrate that Jones has found his artistic forte: "Nice & Slow," "Texas Heat." - The Austin Chronicle

Hip-hop should be as synonymous with Austin as any other genre of music. You might have noticed a bit more of it here at The Deli lately; that's my fault. Hey there, I'm Trevor Talley, and I've taken over as editor of The Deli Austin. While we're certainly gonna keep pumpin' out the good rock, folk and whatever else jams this city can create here at the ATX blog, one thing I'm doing as editor is to widen the focus of The Deli a bit and make sure that the good shit of all kinds that's coming out of the 512 gets its due.

In today's case, I'd like to kindly direct your e-gaze at Kydd, aka Kydd Jones, a bright comet shootin' out of the beats and rhymes system in this town. I went back today and found the first piece I did that mentioned Kydd, back when I was working the hip-hop and electronic beat for Red River Noise, and in that review (an RJD2 concert Kydd opened for) I said the man was a "true rapper, with a lazer-accurate flow." Two years later, Kydd has only gotten better. As a producer and a rapper, Kydd has quite obviously been doing work, watchin' where hip-hop is going and making sure he's right there with his own twist on it. "Who Are You" is the right question for the world to be asking about Kydd, and the snakelike winding of this slow-burner with trap snares and a stoned melody answers that question. He's goddamn Kydd Jones, one of the best artists in the ATX. I said back in that 2012 joint for RRN that Kydd could get big in the future, and this could well be that time. Keep your good ear on him, and keep your eye on The Deli for more of what you've loved in the past, and a little bit more. - The Deli Magazine

'Six tracks from Kydd Jones' The Sounds in My Head Pt. 2 deserve regular rotation at barbecues clear across the Capital City this summer. And if you're smoking, make it eight. The second installment from the local rapper's mixtape series, launched in 2008, ushers in a new era of local rap, one in which guest spots just as often come from national hot spots like Los Angeles (Pac Div, "Now & Then"), New York City (Skyzoo, "It Was All a Dream"), and, well, Alabama (Yelawolf, "Hall Pass") as they do from inside the Lone Star state. ATX reps itself dutifully, with contributions from soul machine Cory Kendrix and beatmaker Haris Qureshi both adding to Kydd's slacker charm ("Jungle").' - The Austin Chronicle

Houston rapper Kirko Bangz returns to his Texas roots on the latest installment of his Progression mixtape series. Progression V picks up laregely where the last entry left off, displaying his improved flow, and sharpened songwriting skills on songs like "Trill Young Nigga 2" and the introspective and personal "Vent 3." He also enlists featured artists such as Texas legend Bun B, RiFF RaFF and Boston George but he mostly keeps the mixtape a solo affair this time. With production from Kydd Jones and Sound M.O.B., Progression V keeps up with the vintage Texas sound that Kirko is known for, staying in line with the young rapper's insistence to keep the spirit of his city alive. Stream Progression V below. - Complex

Born and raised in Austin, TX (known as The Live Music Capital of the World), Kydd Jones independently released two albums in 2012, The Sounds In My Head 2 featuring Yelawolf, Pac Div and Skyzoo) and The Righteous LP, both of which included multiple collaborations with Max Frost of Atlantic Records and longtime Kanye West and GOOD Music affiliate GLC. In 2013, Kydd released a compilation of b-sides entitled Annunaki and is finishing up his next album, GR33D to be released in 2015.

Kydd is a five-time SXSW Showcase artist who performed in 2012 at the XXL SXSW Showcase; at A3C 2012 in Atlanta for Red Bull Soundstage; was selected to perform at Pop Montreal and FunFunFunFest in 2013; performed at the 2014 10th Anniversary A3C Hip-Hop Festival, the 2014 10th Anniversary Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, the A3C Best In Show for NXNE 2014; opened for Danny Brown for the Red Bull Sound Select in Austin during SXSW 2014 and opened for Freddie Gibbs at SXSW 2015. He has toured numerous times, including The Red Bull Skooled Tour, LRG Homegrown Tour, Yelawolf Texas Tour, Big Sean College Tour, Sneaker Pimps Tour, The Return of Screw York City Tour, The Cool Kids Southwest Tour, and The HipHopGods Tour in Los Angeles through Red Bull Soundstage. He has also become an established producer, having produced and engineered tracks featuring artists such as Kirko Bangz, Dee-1, Killa Kyleon and Noah23 as well as others. So with a busy schedule like this it’s a question how Kydd Jones has time to record new content, and the answer is patience. Without further ado the visual for “Patience” is below. POW! - Just Whoo Kid

What city do you represent:
Austin, TX-- the city where the hippies dwell.

Is this your first A3C experience (performing or watching):
This will be my first time performing and watching other acts at A3C.

What can we expect from your A3C performance:
You can expect my performance to have a lot energy and crowd participation. I [like] to engage the crowd so that they feel apart of the show, and give them something special to remember.

Are you performing on any other A3C stage other than the "Straight Outta Texas" showcase:
I actually might be on the Red Bull stage with the rest of the Texas Red Bull Skooled tour family.

What other artists are you looking forward to seeing at A3C:
First, I got to go see the big homie GLC… That's really it for my list everything else is a plus.

What is it like to have Texas represented at the All 3 Coasts Festival:
Its a really big deal, and I hope it shines more light on my city and state because there is a lot of unheard talent here. And while the whole world is jacking our sound right now its cool that we are the select few Texas artist that get to showcase and represent Texas in a real trill fashion.

The Sounds In My Head 2 featuring Yelawolf, GLC, Pac Div and Skyzoo is available on iTunes now. - The Examiner