At just 17 years old, our today’s guest LUCID KIDD is already making a name for himself with his unique blend of emo rap and urban melodic pop. The Lithuanian artist is still buzzing from the recent success of his sophomore single, “Today and Tomorrow,” which claimed the #3 featured spot on Spotify’s highly competitive Tear Drop Playlist and the #17 spot on Tidal’s Rising: Pop Playlist. Meanwhile, Lucid Kidd’s debut video, “G n T,” has amassed almost 250k views.
Shortly after the recent release of his newest jam “Nothing Back,” the third single from his forthcoming debut EP, we sit down with LUCID KIDD to learn a bit more about his background, his craft and plans for the nearest future.
“This is a song about the escape from betrayal,” shares Lucid Kidd. “It depicts the vampires as these fake people that are always draining your energy and using you. The song expresses leaving all these vampires behind and finding your own path, because walking alone is better than being surrounded by fake people. The video contains lots of colors, which represent escaping from the greyness of fake people and becoming your own bright, colorful individual.”
“People around act like thieves // Maybe it’s me // I’m digging in deep, // And I don’t like the way he’s tied to me // It’s like a catastrophe // Ripping out my sanity.” Lucid Kidd sings on “Nothing Back,” offering up a look at the state of emotional guard that comes with trying to escape this betrayal.
The escape from greyness plays a major role in all of Lucid Kidd’s music, serving as a mantra for standing out and expressing himself as a teenager under the monotonous circumstances he grew up in.
Being from Lithuania, long and dark winters and the feelings of depression that come with them were always commonplace for Lucid Kidd, and turning to the emotional complexity and expression of emo rap allows him to deftly capture these feelings.
Lucid Kidd’s music showcases his carefully crafted, production-minded beats, his striking melodicism, and his impressive rap flow. Furthermore, much of it is an unguarded reflection of what it’s like to come of age during a pandemic, and then have to watch the turmoil in Ukraine unfold from a close distance in his native country.
Born the day after Christmas in Lithuania, Lucid Kidd discovered a passion for music at 10, when he started taking guitar lessons and tinkering around on his grandmother’s grand piano.
Then, his sister introduced him to the XXXTENTACION song “Look at Me,” and the rest is history, as they say.
Lucid Kidd has been making his own music since he was 13. Trying his hand to no avail at producing, replicating simple beats, and rapping over his own beats, he eventually pulled out beats from YouTube and started creating songs. It wasn’t long before he was creating three songs every day – recording, mixing, and experimenting all on his own.
Undoubtedly, Lucid Kidd is primed to introduce his music to America and beyond. His soon-to-be-released debut boasts titles produced by Fast Life Beats (LouGotCash, Coi Leray, Perri Jones, Young Paris) and IKENNA FuNkEn (Kevin Gates), and collaborations with Corey Chorus (Rihanna, Keke Palmer, Estelle).
Hey buddy! Thanks for joining us here on IDIOTEQ! Please tell us a bit about your Lithuanian background and your roots.
I’ve been living in Lithuania my whole life, however throughout the years I have done tons of traveling around the world, which has really opened my mind to all the existing opportunities. In general, I really love Lithuania and I am proud to be from here.
How did you get hooked on rap?
It’s hard to recall, but when I was very little my dad used to play lots of Tupac, 50 Cent, and Black Eyed Peas in the car. However, probably the first time I started to listen to modern-day rap was when my sister showed me XXXTENTACION’s “Look At Me” in 2016. It was something so interesting and unique that I had never heard before and it caught my interest. After that I discovered many different artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone, Lil Skies, J. Cole, Lil Uzi. From that it progressed to later trying out producing beats, and finally rapping.
Cool. How’s your local (emo) rap scene then? Can you talk about how COVID-19 affected it in and whether or not your local gigs made return in current post-pandemic era?
Pre-Covid Lithuania had some big names (FSG) but little competition. During Covid everything was highly impacted, and the music industry was practically dead. Little to no new songs were released as far as I remember. However, after Covid everything changed. Thousands of new artists appeared and the competition increased drastically. It was like a revolution. I am very happy to see my country having so much action and competition in the music industry because then only good and unique music becomes popular, unveiling creativity in artists.
Gimme your sickest live show ever, as an attendee.
I have attended many shows in my life, most in Lithuania but some in other countries. One of my favorites was the first big show I went to at 13 years old, when “Scarlxrd” did a show in Lithuania. It was crazy, people in mosh pits were pretty cruel and raging but it was very fun.
I got in most of the mosh pits before people just started fighting, but I loved it. Another one was very different, an alternative/indie band “Flash Voyage” playing in Nida, Lithuania, close to the beach, and it had a very good energy and vibe.
How about your own live appearances? Your experiences, best gigs, etc. Talk to me.
I have two favorite shows out of many, both of them being very different. The first one was very sick because of the amount of people there and their energy. There were about 1000 people and all of them were jumping like crazy, doing mosh pits etc. It was my first big show. The second show was very underground, I was performing at some bar in a basement. There were approximately 200 people however I managed to give the crowd lots of energy and got everything in return. It was the first time I fully controlled the crowd.
Are there any live shows planned for later this year?
For now, not a lot, only one show locked in, performing at a festival in Lithuania called “Karklė.” However, I’m certain I will do way more shows not only in Lithuania but the US and most likely around Europe.
Across the last couple of years, you have released a couple of singles. What are your plans regarding a possible full release, like an EP or a full length?
I am releasing an EP, very soon. This project is very close to me, it has a lot of different emotions and thoughts placed together which build a story. It’ll be called “Falling To Grace”, and that’s all I’ll tell you.
Music wise, what are your main inspirations? Also, who’s responsible for the production side of your recent singles?
I have many inspirations music wise, and I can’t particularly tell you one or two people that inspire me the most. If you were to look at my playlist it has so many different artists, and I take some inspiration from all of them. I’m also highly impacted by my external environment when I create my music. I pick inspiration from experiences, lessons, and situations that I incorporate in my music. The production of all three singles was done by “Fast Life Beats,” so shout out to them for the crazy art created.
What topics do you like to cover in your lyrics?
I am still working hard on it, but through my lyrics I try to collect my real-life experiences and transform them into lessons in order to help people reach the best version of themselves. Of course, in many songs I just have fun writing what I feel like, however my goal is to give something to a person from that song that could benefit or help them. I personally don’t believe lyrics are the main element in giving meaning and telling something – yes, it is more literal, but I believe some people, myself included, can take a lot from just a song’s melody and rhythm.
Lastly, what’s your take on the current happenings in Ukraine?
Living everyday seems great, good weather. However, living so close to Ukraine and remembering the absurd things happening there is just heartbreaking. Because there are so many refugees, I have interacted with many Ukrainians and it’s beautiful to see the good energy and positivity they spread, even after such harsh past months. We should remember the everyday suffering of the people, and help by donating and raising awareness.
