A conversation with The KYD about “Prozac”
Q: Hi! What inspired you to write the song “Prozac”?
A: Just life, really. Was written and recorded around May 2022 when I was in a pretty dark place and not really happy with what was going on– my employment/financial situation was in limbo unexpectedly and a lot of the stuff in the music game was bothering me to the point I was honestly considering quitting so any anxiety I usually deal with was probably at its worst point. I just found the beat in a group that Atrade sent me, got it and wrote this really quick on the spot just to vent and see how it felt. It was more an attempt to find some sort of therapeutic release than anything.
Q: Can you describe the songwriting process for “Prozac”?
A: The most spontaneous song I’ve done so far writing-wise. I usually have the beat picked and an idea fully formed for what I might do with it, and some ideas for concepts, rhyme schemes or flow patterns written down somewhere that I can draw on for when I finally sit and write a track. But for this one, it was all done from scratch with not much pre-thought. I did it in around an hour.
Q: What message do you hope listeners take away from “Prozac”?
A: I just hope anyone who listens to it can relate to it in some way and the way I describe things I’ve gone through resonates with them. I guess with a track like this, it might demonstrate to people that it’s okay to be vulnerable and be honest about what you’re going through. It helps.
Q: How does “Prozac” fit into the broader themes or messages of your music?
A: Well the album it’s part of (The Overture, dropped March 16th) has a lot of tracks that cover the same subject matter but it’s tackling the subject of anxiety/mental health/regret from different angles. I’d say Prozac is the broad overview where my mind was at during the making of the album then there are other songs like Pins and Needles, Peace or Apparitions that might be more specific and focus on certain events and what not. In general, I just want to be honest in my music, and it’s the best outlet for me to release a lot of this stuff. I definitely rap to be the best and I’m competitive so I pop my shit on the lyrical side a lot, but that shouldn’t be all you do or talk about.
Q: What was the most challenging aspect of creating the song?
A: Releasing it to be honest. Writing it was easy but releasing it, I definitely had some nerves about it since it was the most vulnerable thing I had released at that point since the two album singles before it were very braggadocious, rappity-rap tracks that received a really good response. So I definitely had some anxiety about whether I was actually ready to showcase this side or not or if people would gravitate to it. I got over that quickly, though. This needed to be released.
Q: How do you feel about the way audiences have responded to “Prozac”?
A:Very good, based on the messages I’ve received from some, it’s seemed to resonate with people and they appreciate it. That’s all I need to hear.
Q: What’s next for you? Any music or tours
A: This album I just dropped is still doing its thing but I definitely have more music coming this year. Have some new tracks in the works and collabs coming, including with my brother Jamie and some other artists. Have already started dabbling with some new tracks that might turn into a new project. Hope to do a few of my first live performances later this year, too, especially now that I have built my catalogue up. Lots of stuff happening. Feeling good about what’s in the works.
