Kofi, a professional volleyball player and thriving recording artist, is one of the most exciting new acts of 2024.
There is a long history of athletes crossing over to music. Many have become pop culture icons. Growing up in a Ghanaian-Polish-Jewish household in Scarborough, Kofi’s sound reflects his diverse upbringing. With his breakout single “Came Up,” he gained widespread fame in 2019.
Outside music, as a volleyball player, Kofi stands at 6’8” with an impressive vertical. He earned a spot on Canada’s Olympic roster and now competes for Séte, one of France’s premier professional teams. Balancing his thriving athletic career with his artistry, Kofi proves he’s a true multi-hyphenate.
In music, he became an instrumentalist with the ability to play the piano, guitar, and trombone. His undeniable popularity led to a bidding war. He signed a deal with Red Bull Records in 2022.
Pettyboy is Kofi’s second album on Red Bull Records. The 11-track project explores the raw emotional spectrum of a toxic relationship, told through the lens of Kofi’s alter ego. Themes of desire, self-worth, and fractured commitment take center stage as he delivers unfiltered narratives.
With Pettyboy, Kofi’s vulnerability resonates, offering both relatability and catharsis. This era represents his most significant chapter yet, a testament to his dedication and evolving artistry.
In an exclusive interview with Hot 97’s Bryson “Boom” Paul, Kofi explains the making of Pettyboy, signing with Red Bull Records, moving on from his toxicity, and more.
[Boom]: You called Pettyboy a “get-back” album. Now, who hurt you, and how is this a get-back album?
[Kofi]: This is just a compilation of a lot of relationships. Not just my relationships, but other things that I see my friends go through. And it’s everything that I wish I said or wish I did, and the same thing for them. So if there’s an angel and a devil on your shoulder, I chose the angel way too many times now. This whole album is just straight devil. Absolutely on demon time. Diabolical demon time.
The album is about situations your friends go through. It’s hard to see that when you have songs like “Say I Won’t” and all those triggering words. So, like I said before, who hurt you? Who did this? Who created this album?
“Say I Won’t” is about me. I’m not going to lie. You get to a point in a relationship, and you’re like, “Yo, what am I doing?” You’re like, “Yeah, I could just be my own person.” So that’s literally what “Say I Won’t” is, taking that power back, like, all right, this is just stupid at this point. Don’t forget that I have options too. I could do me too.
Describe the feeling of completing the Pettyboy album compared to completing your previous albums?
When it was done, it’s funny because listening to it, it’s not a feel good album. You listen to it, and you’re like, “Yo, I can’t believe I just said that. This person’s going to hear this. This one I’m going to get in trouble for.” But I don’t know, part of that, it’s exciting. Yeah, I love the album. I stand by it 100%.
Music is about authenticity and honesty. You create an album like this, and you know it will affect other people in different ways. How does it feel knowing that you evoke all these emotions in people when they hear your music?
Honestly, I’ll say it comes out and slaps me in the face when someone DMs me, and it’s something I never even thought of, that whole idea of Say I Won’t being an empowering song. Someone came out and said that to me, I’m like, “Yo, nah, this is the pettiest shit I’ve ever wrote.” Yeah, they twisted it that way. With art, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So it’s cool as an artist to see your art, even a petty album, helping people going through whatever they’re going through. So that’s cool.
“Say I Won’t” is your story. What other songs on the album is directly from you or directly tied to you?
I’m not going to lie. A lot of them are from me. There’s only a handful of ones that aren’t.
You’re in your pettiness right now. What song was inspired by a petty story that you got?
Cool. Let’s see. I’m trying to think. I guess I Know. That song, it’s an upbeat song. It’s really just about, we both know we’re not nowhere close to good for each other, but we’re still going to do what we’re going to do because it is what it is. I don’t really know how to explain that better.
You explained it perfectly, but that leads to the question: what is it about attracting people who don’t fit us?
I have no clue. I feel like people connect on different levels, and sometimes you connect in some ways, and you’re just polar opposites in other ways. So that’s probably mostly what I Know is about: We connect in some ways, but in most ways this is not a beneficial relationship for anyone. But it still is a relationship that we both pursue on multiple occasions.
How much have you grown to Pettyboy from 100 Dark Nights and why not?
I think musically, I’ve grown a lot, found my sound. I think the project’s a lot more cohesive and it’s to the point where all the songs, while they all sound super different and they’re all unique in their own aspects, they kind of come together to form Pettyboy, the project. I don’t think that’s something I was really doing before.
Now, would you say Pettyboy is your most personal album now?
I think so, and I think it’s an album I needed to make because, like I said, it’s everything I wish I said, now I said it, and now I said it for everyone to hear. Everyone heard it. I could have just said it to you, but no, everyone heard it. Now, our business is out there. So I definitely not just got my lick back, it’s a therapeutic process, this album.
In your opinion, how did you set the tone for Pettyboy?
I think the intro, “Doing It Right,” it’s so petty. “There’s too much alcohol in my system to leave you alone tonight.” That is crazy. It’s crazy to the point where it’s funny. Just that song and the outro to that song, I think it sets the tone. It’s dark, it’s melodic, it’s ridiculously toxic and petty, and it’s kind of like a juxtaposition because the music side of it is kind of beautiful, but what I’m saying is not. But it’s written eloquently, and it’s written beautifully, but it’s kind of that juxtaposition. I think that sets up what the rest of the album is perfectly.
This album is therapeutic for you. For those who are going through similar situations, how do you get over that person or how to get over these situations?
All right, if we’re doing real advice, and this is Kofi speaking, not Pettyboy speaking, I’d say for sure just work on you. Just go boss up your life. I got out of a relationship and started going crazy on music and kind of got to where I am today. Got out of a relationship, said, “You know what? I’m going to go be a pro athlete.” Worked hard in the gym, got to where I am. So this petty stuff is kind of just an afterthought. I wouldn’t say focus on being petty. Don’t go up and say, “I wanted this, that, this, but God gave me you.” That’s not going to be productive. It’s not going to get you anywhere.
Is Pettyboy your alter ego?
Yeah, it’s 100% my alter ego. It’s who I wish I was if I’m being honest.
What would the Pettyboy advice be?
Burn the relationship down to the ground. Everything. Burn every bridge, every bridge. Make everybody feel terrible. As I said, it’s the angel and the devil on the shoulder. I don’t know if I said that… Yeah, Pettyboy is definitely the devil.
Do you feel like you got everything off on Pettyboy?
For sure. I think my next album, I’m going to have to spin this 360. I don’t think I got any more petty left in me, if I’m being honest.
Bryson “Boom” Paul:
Can we receive a Pettyboy sequel in the future?
Well, what I’ll say is I have a lot of songs that were made for Pettyboy as well that I think are just as good as every song on the album. So those might start making some appearances, though the petty stuff is not completely over. I guess we’re in the Pettyboy era, so we’re about to see some more petty.
Why did you decide to align yourself with Red Bull Records?
So when I first started, I was also a student-athlete at the time. I played volleyball at UCLA. My music started doing numbers and I was going around a bunch of different labels. At the end, all the other labels are like, “All right, well, so are you going to quit being an athlete? Are you going to come out of school?” Whereas Red Bull never said that. So, for me, it was like, I’m going to rock with these people because they rock with everything I’m doing. They’re not like, “All right, yeah, but you got to do this, this, this, and change yourself to rock with us.”
Meeting with them [Red Bull Records], what was something that they told you that was reassurance for you, you was like, “Okay, yeah, I’m going in the right direction with this”?
Yo, the craziest thing is the first person I ever met from Red Bull, he came over to my house at the time in LA and he was like, “Yo, your music reminds me of Akon,” which is crazy because that’s my favorite artist by far. So I was like, “Yeah, let me sign. Where do I sign? Talk to me.”
What did the label think of Pettyboy when you played it for them for the first time?
I think it had mixed reactions. Playing that in a business environment that’s not where the music’s meant to be played. It’s not for a bunch of people that work in the office and have their life together, it’s for real people going through it in the trenches. So people understood it, but I think it took not a while, but it took a bit of time for everybody to come around and see what the actual vision was, which I think is good. I don’t think a good album is something that you should just understand on the first pass.
Was it intended to released the album close to Valentine’s Day? The day isn’t for everyone. That’s why we have Galentine’s Day. We have all these things now. It’s like, man. But do you realize your album is going to be a soundtrack for people during these holiday times?
I can’t wait. I hope it is, and it might be for me too. We’ll see.
Are you worried about people making bad decisions based off of the Pettyboy album?
I think if somebody rocks with me to the point where I can influence them in their decisions, they spend enough time seeing what I do to understand that this is not exactly how I live my life on a day-to-day. You know what I mean?So I hope they take everything else from me as well, like the fact that I’m a hustler. I work every single day on both things: on music, on sports. I’m all about taking responsibility for your own life and doing everything you can to better yourself. So I hope they take that away too, and I’m sure they will.
What was your favorite song you made on the album?
For me, it’s “Impatient.” I just like how it came together. Always loved Afrobeats, loved Dark R&B. The chord progression feels like Toronto, that Dark R&B chord progression, and then mix that with Afrobeat drums and singing real melodic vocals over it, a bunch of layers. Yeah, I loved how that song came together and I love how it sounds. And I love performing it. I performed that before it was out, and it went crazy every single city that we did it.
How do you feel about people getting introduced to you for the first time with Pettyboy?
I think it’s sick. I like it. I think as far as sonically goes, it’s probably my most put together sonics on an album. I think every bar is tight, every beat is amazing. The mix and master is 10 out of 10.
How will this album affect you moving forward as far as creating music?
Probably the same as all my other albums. I think I’m just going to keep going. All I do is really make music and play sports, but I think, yeah, I’m just going to keep dropping. This is an era, my career, my journey as an artist goes in era and every era gets a bit more refined. So this is just an era and we’re going to keep going.
Out of the three albums, which one would you say set the bar for your creativity moving forward?
I think 100 Dark Nights for sure. When I made that album, I was independent and I was just really in the basement with three guys. This album really was too because that’s how I like to make music, but that was no label, no budget, no nothing, just work and life. And my life was so different at that time. I owe my life now, a bit of it to that album success, but my life was so different. So I think that kind of set the bar and that also kind of put me on the map in Toronto.
A lot of women hear this album. They’re going to be like, “Look, I like him, but I don’t know, there’s something about him.” Tell everybody the type of guy you are in a relationship.
Yeah, I’m really just a chill guy. I’m just a chill guy, for real, like that meme that’s going around. Honestly, this is not really who I am, but I’m having these thoughts though. This is going on up here. I don’t do it because I know it’s messed up. I’m 6’8″. I can’t be this woo-woo person. I’m a real chill guy, but in the background, these are the thoughts that are sitting on my shoulder.
If they’re going through some petty stuff right now, they’re listening to your album, you definitely got some bad decisions for them.
For sure. I’ll mess your life up.
So where is the direction of Kofi moving forward?
I’m not so sure I’m going to do a project. I think I want to start spacing out songs a bit. I’d love to drop some singles. I still don’t know if we’re doing a deluxe because I definitely have a lot of songs, but I feel like I have a bunch of diehard fans. And if I was a diehard fan, because I am of so many artists, I want new music more than every month. So that’s what I want to be able to do for everybody.
How does an artist find trust in the label in a similar situation?
So I would say looking for a label is like looking for the outcome instead of looking for success in doing the work. So my advice to upcoming artists would be you have to look for success on your own before a label’s even going to look at you. And you have to be confident in the fact that you can see success on your own to the point where you need to know that you could do it without a label before you’re in a position that you can do it with a label. I think the days of needing a label to blow up are kind of behind us and labels help, they definitely do, but you can do a lot right now independent. And I think looking for an excuse as to why you’re not doing well, which the excuse is because I’m not assigned to a label, I think that’s just counterproductive and that actually just doesn’t help you in any sense. You’re just giving yourself an easy out to not work hard.
What about for those that you said they’re looking for a label for when they are about to blow up, but what happens when you are blown up and you’re getting shopped by all these labels like you did back in the day?
It’s just connections. You want to know somebody who knows people at the label because, as rewarding as this industry is, it’s a crazy industry, and you don’t want to be locked in with the wrong people. For sure I’d say have a lawyer, that’s just number one. But also make sure you know somebody who knows the people that you’re dealing with.
Are you ready to give these people what they want with this Pettyboy era?
100%. I can’t wait. Like I said, I did a Europe tour and I was performing Impatient even though it wasn’t out yet, and the energy off it was crazy. People were singing along because it is super repetitive, that’s why. So they only needed to know one word. But yeah, I can’t wait to tour this album.
Do you have a certain idea for your performance during these, or are you just going to feed off the energy of the crowd that night?
I’m going to feed off the energy of the crowd for sure. So me, I’m an engineer first. I started music as an engineer. So when I go to concerts, and it’s just someone rapping over the song playing, and I’m like, “Yo, you know how much better this would sound at home?” This just sounds so much better in my headphones for free or for whatever it is a month on Spotify or Apple Music. So I try to do something different, give people something that they can’t hear at home. So I don’t know, for Came Up, which is one of my other songs, I take out the drums and I make sure it’s just me singing over the piano. It’s like an intimate experience that people actually have. It’s not just it just sounds worse than the recording. So yeah, I’ll probably do that. And I have some crazy ideas for Impatient. I shouldn’t give it away, but I’m definitely going to switch up the beat and make it very acoustic. So it’ll be cool.
Now, do you feel like “Impatient” is going to be your biggest record? Because right now “Come Up” is your biggest record, but do you feel like “Impatient” is going to be your biggest record based on the reaction and based on all the success of it and the popularity?
I think it could be. It’s also, my Afrobeats records, Came Up just went crazy off the jump, but all my Afrobeats records, people live with those records. That becomes soundtrack to people’s lives. And you could see it because in the data, in the streaming, it’s steady. It’s not like, oh, it goes crazy. Okay, it’s done. It just creeps up over time. So yeah, I could see Impatient being something people come back to.
How do you balance giving people what they want and allowing yourself to grow creatively?
Well, I operate under the assumption that if people rock with your music, they’re going to rock with whatever you rock with. There’s also another saying that once you start thinking about marketing, which is giving people what they want, God walks out of the room. So I try to just keep my mind in the music and create what I want to create and what I think. And it’s not just me. I have a close group of people whose opinions I respect and we craft the sound together, but I don’t make music to people please, clearly with this album. I make music because this is what needs to be made, in my opinion.
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