What’s in a name? A lot if you’re Kwame, now known as thatboykwame.
The acclaimed Australian rapper and producer, tired of being mistaken to US artist Kwamé, the rapper who released a string of albums in the 1990s, decided to make the change to thatboykwame in February. “The journey begins… I’m one of one, there is no one like me,” he powerfully wrote in an Instagram post that month.
As he told The Music at the time, “thatboykwame is a multifaceted moniker of mine that I’ve used for all things within the creative arts.” He also had a Dragon Ball comparison ready for the publication. “Similarly to how Goku turns Super Saiyan God in Battle of the Gods, I feel I’ve reached that point in my career. For where I’m about to take things, my entry to the world needs to be unique. There’s only one thatboykwame, and that’s me.”
thatboykwame then released his first single of his new era, “anecdote”, and he’s now followed that up with “nothintwosay”, the title’s style cutely mirroring his new moniker.
Released today, the rapper performed the song for the very first time at an exclusive 2024 Shure Rolling Stone Australia Awards pre-party. Watch thatboykwame’s electrifying performance, captured by Cameron Danzey, below.
And don’t believe the title: thatboykwame definitely has something to say on his new single. You can listen to “nothintwosay” and watch the accompanying music video, directed by thatboykwame alongside Markus Sternecker, below.
2023 was a big year for thatboykwame. He released two singles, “vices” and “daydream”, and guested on three other singles, including Holy Holy’s “Messed Up”. That year also saw him memorably collaborate with Mallrat to sample the sounds of football for Adidas.
If 2023 was a great year for the rapper, he’s expecting even more this year. “The spirit is on me… I’m charged up… 24’ the year I present a masterpiece,” he wrote on Instagram at the beginning of the year.
thatboykwame’s “nothintwosay” is out now.