To Kota The Friend, Home In Brooklyn Is ‘EVERYTHING’

To Kota The Friend, Home In Brooklyn Is ‘EVERYTHING’ Sometimes, you have to leave home to truly appreciate it for what it is. Kota the Friend, an atypical Brooklyn rapper going against the grain, has travelled from one end of the country to the other to attend college and toured in cities all over the world, opting to stay on the run rather than sit still. 

His music — characterized by thoughtful lyricism, artistic melancholy, and mellow production — often paints a vivid picture of the places he calls home. “Colorado”, one of Kota’s most popular songs released in 2018, features dreamy production reminiscent of Colorado’s natural landscape, with lyrics expressing his escape from alcoholism. “Hollywood,” another city-centered track released in 2019, highlights the disenfranchised relationship Kota has with his newfound fame. 

Now, “BQE“, Kota’s latest released single, represents his lens of the place he was born and brought up: New York. The song is an abbreviation for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, a 35-mile route that connects New Jersey to southern Brooklyn and the Bronx. Whether coming home from elementary school, a long day at work, or a long night with friends, the ride on the BQE has always felt same. The familiar 6 p.m. sunset. The backdrop of the cloudy city sky against the Manhattan skyline. Now, Kota the Friend finally sees the value in coming home.

Photo by Ragan Henderson