Kenzie From Welly announces debut album ‘Greenstone Door’ – Spotlight Report
A product of life challenges, self-belief, and ‘90s hip hop, Kenzie From Welly returns today with the announcement of her debut album, Greenstone Door, out January 24 via Forever Ever. In celebration of the album, Kenzie has also shared her latest single and video for ‘Hold Ya Head’.
Slowing the tempo and incorporating smooth R&B tones, ‘Hold Ya Head’ is Kenzie’s profoundly introspective narrative to her loved ones and lost opportunities. Forever driven by community, cultural roots and activism, ‘Hold Ya Head’ showcases Kenzie’s innate storytelling talents and smooth lyrical flow.
Kenzie says of ‘Hold Ya Head’, “I’ve been a rap fan my whole life and a huge part of that love comes from the art of storytelling. My bro Troy Samuela produced ‘Hold Ya Head’ and when I heard the space in the beat it felt like mirrors reflecting stories of loved ones. I wanted to honors the dreams they didn’t get to chase.”
Made with her cousin and musical collaborator, Troy Samuela, Greenstone Door is a snapshot of Kenzie’s time spent living in Brisbane. Equal parts self-reflective and passionate, the album thoughtfully examines Kenzie’s individual experiences with her cultural community’s collective identity, forever driven by her unwavering activism in the face of colonisation.
Kenzie says of the album: “Greenstone Door was made while I was living in Brisbane (my home away from home) May-ish of 2018. The cuz Troy Samuela came to hang before he moved to L.A. We didn’t know at the time what we were creating would become our process for collaborating. It always begins with Troy making a beat and looping it, I’d go off into the next room to write and by the time I’d come back to record vocals he would have another loop ready to go.
Our only aim was to ditch anything we felt was boring. Fast forward 10 days and we had a 10 track album. There’s been a lot of life lived since 2018 but I’m happy Greenstone Door gets to roam free. I’m happy people get to start from the start with my debut album and take this adventure with me. This is for us by us.”
Like her name proudly states, Kenzie was born in Wellington, Aotearoa, to Māori and Samoan parents, who, along with artists like Bones Thugs-N-Harmony and Lauryn Hill, shaped her to become the strong woman she is today.
From openly freestyling in the garage to developing her style in the privacy of her bedroom, Kenzie’s love for the hip hop artform blossomed. As her confidence grew, she began experimenting and started to collaborate with her family which include her brother Cole and well-respected MC out of Apia, Samoa, her cousin, POETIK. Once she found her feet with writing and rapping, Kenzie delved into production, engineering and ghost-writing; further cementing her as a well-rounded artist.
As inspired as Kenzie is by world affairs, global music and travel, there is no place like home. Like the old saying goes: You can take Kenzie out of Welly, but you can’t take Welly out of Kenzie; it’s not only in her name, it’s also in her heart, soul, and mind state.
