When Lewis M. was in the ring with self-doubt, he took it down with a musical body slam called “KENNY OMEGA.”
The Boston rapper’s new song, named after his favorite wrestler, is a bid to get back into the proverbial ring after an era of life that Lewis describes as “poisoned.” Facing feelings of depression surrounding his 2024 album fka Reggie, he tapped into two sources of inspiration: The wit of Kendrick Lamar’s most recent record GNX, and Omega’s intentional performances.
“When I watch him wrestle, I feel like I’m watching an artist that makes everything they do in the ring feel incredibly intentional and specific,” Lewis tells Vanyaland. “His matches always tell complex stories. I view him among my very favorite storytellers in any artistic medium.”
The result is today’s (April 25) single, a swift display of tenacity draws on past successes to prep him for future battles, creative or otherwise: “Won titles everywhere I’ve ever been / I’m him,” he raps on the refrain. In addition to gleaning inspiration from storytellers like Lamar and Omega, Lewis says he also sidestepped any grand, overarching concepts in his new music, and instead prioritized whatever felt fresh and enjoyable to him.
“I wanted to do more exploration of styles and sounds,” he adds. “A lot of my process now versus then is distilled into finding new ways to create — new flow, new styles of beats, new sounds. That’s when it becomes fun, when you dive into new waters.”
Hit the mat with Lewis M. below.