ON THE RISE
In the outro to “FTW,” a sampled voice states, “People be in secret competition with you – and still be losing.”
The new single by New York rapper I.K.P. – The Infamous King of Positivity – is all about winning through resilience. Born Kenny Alvarez, I.K.P. calls the genre “grunge rap,” an offshoot of trap with a dirty and textured beat and a dark, ominous melody.
The lyrics touch on many aspects of I.K.P.’s life. That includes their past military service, their dual background in Brooklyn and the Southside of Virginia (757 area code), and their relentless desire to make it – and have the time of his life doing so.
Native to the BK borough, but bred in the Southside
757 lyfe, Lord willin' still get em right
Lord willing I'll get it right
Veteran still gettin stripes, tight!
They'll discuss it in group chats
Yet the real power where the truth at
Sis in the Benz, neph' beamin',
I need a Bentley Truck... f*** w/ me!
As they rap, he truly is “stepping hotter for the win!”
I.K.P.’s positivity has been hard-won. As they allude to in the song, they earned their stripes. In particular, they were a victim of sexual assault while in service. Faced with the choice of descending into darkness or lifting themselves up with a positive mindset, they chose the latter. Music became their lifeline.
“I had to figure out how to turn something terrible into something I could stand on and build from,” they said. “That’s where The Infamous King of Positivity came from: turning pain into power.”
“FTW,” or “For the Win,” is the beginning of a new era for I.K.P. Their catalog dates back to 2011 when they launched his debut album, Ignoring the Known Protocol. Four full albums and many singles later, I.K.P. now wants to fully embrace the trials, traumas, and uniqueness that represent their authentic voice.
I.K.P. says, “I’ve been through homelessness, substance abuse, domestic violence, and a lot of trauma coming out of the military. This new era is about owning my story, my artistry, and being in a state of recovery. Embracing growth and pushing forward.”
With that background in mind, each time I.K.P. repeats “steppin’ hotter for the win” it takes on the sound of a mantra of persistence, swagger, and defiance. The hook’s dancehall inflection combines with a soldier’s rhythm. Celebration and struggle are present in equal measure.
The artist is very active on social media. In addition to dropping videos – like the slickly produced lyric and performance video of “FTW” – he also hosts Block Spinnin, a series focused on the history of Billboard Number One songs. With this content that combines Hip-Hop artistry with pop culture history, they are connecting with fans on many levels.
Now, with “FTW” gathering new listeners by the day, the sky is the limit.
“I want to chart on Billboard,” they proclaim. “I want this music to reach as many people as possible. To activate them, to spread that flow-state energy.”
For everyone unconcerned with the doubters, the haters, and the would-be competitors, “FTW” is your anthem. Stream it at the links below, and start steppin’ hotter for the win.
Listen to “FTW” and follow I.K.P. at the links below:
Official Website | Instagram | YouTube | X | Facebook | Soundcloud | TikTok | Spotify | Apple Music
ON THE RISE
Blossoms caught up with NME to discuss competing with The Beatles and Johnny Marr for this week’s Number One album. With ‘Songs From The Wedding Cake’ in the running, the band also explained why making things themselves remains such an important part of their work as AI becomes more common.
The Stockport group put out their sixth album last Friday, October 2. By the midweek update, it was sitting at Number Two, between The Beatles’ expanded edition of ‘Rubber Soul’ and Johnny Marr’s latest solo album, ‘The Age Of Everything’.
“It’s mad, to be honest,” singer Tom Ogden said to NME about the chart race. “Liverpool on one side, Manchester on the other and Stockport in the middle. If you’d told us this 10 years ago, when we were releasing our debut, I wouldn’t have believed you. But I mean, we’re in good company aren’t we?”
Discussing the stories behind the album, Ogden described ‘Songs From The Wedding Cake’ as “about being married and all the everyday stuff that comes with it”. He married Katie Donovan, the sister of Blossoms drummer Joe, in 2021. Married life has since given him a new appreciation for what he describes as “the extraordinary ordinary”.
“Saying the wrong thing in an argument, losing your wife’s no claims bonus, crying at the Kardashians, it’s all in there,” he explained. “The album is named after Stockport Town Hall, which everyone round where we live calls the Wedding Cake, and it’s where I got married, so it couldn’t be much closer to home.
“The last album [‘Gary’, 2024] had a song about a stolen fibreglass gorilla, which everyone loved, and that gave us the confidence to bring the same playfulness to this one, just with more personal subject matter this time.”
Alongside tracks that came out of writing sessions with Declan McKenna in a hot tub, the album reflects the band’s desire to stay involved in every part of the creative process.
“It started with the recording,” Ogden explained. “We made the album with Shawn Lee, playing live straight to tape, and once you’ve done it that way you can’t really go and fake everything else. We sat down as a band and picked the colour palette, and everything visual followed from that. We had body scans taken of ourselves and cake toppers of the five of us 3D printed, put them on a real cake and photographed it. I’ve directed and edited the videos, and the sets are all built by hand, no green screen. For the pop-up shop on launch weekend, a local artist hand-painted the album cover for the sign outside.
“It’s more work, but you end up with a world that’s yours, and I think people can tell when a band’s had its hands on everything.”
With AI tools and digital effects becoming increasingly widespread, that approach feels particularly relevant. For Blossoms, though, the motivation is simple: “the fun is in the making”.
“Tape doesn’t let you cheat and neither does a real cake,” Ogden said. “If a set’s a bit wonky, it’s because one of us or our mates built it. I think the more stuff gets generated, the more people want to know a human being actually did it. We’ve been in this band together for over 10 years, five lads from Stockport, and that isn’t something you can ‘prompt’.”
Maya Jama also appeared in the video for the album’s first single, ‘Meet Me In Love’. Her appearance came shortly before the UK launch of Celebrity Traitors, where she took on the role of a traitor alongside a cast that included Richard E Grant and James Acaster.
“She was brilliant,” Ogden recalled of working with Jama. “We’d met her at the MTV EMAs in Manchester a couple of years ago, so we took a chance and sent her a DM …and she said yes. Next thing she’s in a theatre in Cheadle miming my vocals while a load of people dressed as me serenade her. She got the idea straight away and was a proper laugh about it.”
The conversation then turned to whether he thought Jama could take home the win on Celebrity Traitors.
Ogden joked: “As for Traitors, she spent a whole day pretending to sing my song and I almost believed her, so I’d say she’s got every chance.”
Fans can listen to ‘Songs From The Wedding Cake’ now. In November, Blossoms head out on a UK arena tour with The Royston Club. Tickets and further details are available here.
Before the tour begins, the group is also scheduled to appear on SNL UK on Saturday, October 24.
