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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
As they prepare to unveil their fourth album, ‘Joy In Short Moments’, The Snuts have spoken with NME about how stepping away from touring gave them the chance to reflect on some of life’s biggest challenges and bring greater attention to mental health.
Their first album since 2024’s upbeat ‘Millenials’ follows a rare break from the road over the past year. During that time, frontman Jack Cochrane also experienced a major change in his personal life as he welcomed his first child.
Along with getting used to fatherhood, the singer began thinking about deeper questions that the demanding touring lifestyle had previously left little room to consider. His reflections on growing up, dealing with loss and understanding what success really means gradually found their way into his writing, eventually shaping the direction of the band's more personal new album.
Fans were first introduced to the album earlier this year through ‘Summer Rain’, an emotional track exploring postnatal depression and the “fear of the future”. They later returned during the summer with the more hopeful ‘Defibrillator’, encouraging listeners to move beyond negative thoughts about themselves and find comfort in connecting with other people.
Speaking to NME about the creative shift behind their fourth record, Cochrane explained: “By taking a conscious break from life on the road and making records, my world opened up to let so much more of the real world in,” he said. “For the first time I was living then writing, not writing while trying to live.”
He also described how the change helped the band approach recording differently, adding: “It unlocked a new process that the band had been crying out for,” he continued. “The studio sessions were set up to allow us to be friends and not colleagues. Distraction and external pressures were completely eradicated from the recording environment, allowing us to trust our gut and have the conversations we needed to as humans.”
In the remainder of the interview, Cochrane also discusses his new role as an ambassador for mental health charity CALM and talks about starting a podcast designed to encourage more artists to speak honestly about their personal struggles.
NME: Hi Jack, congratulations on the new album. You’ve said that this record was about addressing the topics that you previously tried to hide from. What kinds of questions did you find yourself confronting?
Jack Cochrane: “I would say mainly, ‘What do I need to be happy?’… Eeek! It’s a big one I know, but having set out with the title ‘Joy In Short Moments’, I was able to spend my time searching for them and allow joy to do what joy does: compound and relieve the stresses of the modern world.”
That’s not the easiest question to find yourself confronting. Did you manage to find any answers along the way?
“Ultimately yes. With the completion of this record I was able to find a much happier healthier version of myself I had been so long yearning for.”
The album sees you deal with new themes, but musically we also see you return to the guitar-led sound from your early days. Did revisiting those roots make you notice how much has changed since you were starting out?
“For sure. We were able to remove any snobbery from the process. We’re no longer new kids on the block and with that came a new found ability to be really honest about the kind of noises we wanted to make and the type of artists that had originally inspired us.”
This album goes hand in hand with you becoming an ambassador for CALM and launching your own podcast dedicated to checking in with fellow artists. Why was it important for you to get involved in the conversation about mental health?
“I think conversations and role models are absolutely essential for young people. I wanted to have more and do my best to be one. Every song on this record was born out of unfiltered, open and honest conversation.”
From talking to people on your podcast, including Louis Tomlinson, and using your platform to open up this dialogue, is there anything interesting that you’ve noticed?
“I think that more often than not, young men are finding it difficult to combat the struggles they are facing in this modern world. To me it feels like there are less and less spaces and opportunities to have meaningful, healing conversations…”
Having had those conversations yourself and explored them on the album, it must be somewhat daunting to now put it out into the world. Is there something that you hope people take from it?
“I’d like people to feel less alone after hearing the record and the themes intertwined with it. I think music is more than just heartbreak and I hoped in the writing of this record I would be able to highlight some more universally relevant topics.”
You have your headline tour coming up next month. What can we expect from the shows?
“Big smiles and big sound all round! It will be the most self assured Snuts tour to date.”
‘Life In Short Moments’ is out now Happy Artist Records in partnership with Virgin Music Group. Their UK and Ireland tour kicks off next month with an opening night in Dundee. Visit here for tickets and check out a list of tour dates below.
NOVEMBER 2026
19 – Dundee, Livehouse
20 – Aberdeen, Beach Ballroom
21 – Edinburgh, Corn Exchange
23 – Dunfermline, Alhambra Theatre
24 – Newcastle, O2 City Hall
26 – Sheffield, Octagon Centre
27 – Nottingham, Rock City
29 – Norwich, UEA
30 – Hull, City Hall
DECEMBER 2026
1 – Bristol, Prospect Hall
3 – Leeds, O2 Academy
4 – Manchester, O2 Victoria Warehouse
8 – Birmingham, O2 Academy
9 – Portsmouth, Guildhall
10 – London, O2 Academy Brixton
JANUARY 2027
26 – Belfast, Limelight
27 – Galway, Róisín Dubh
28 – Dublin, Academy
