The Kidd Says He’s ‘Okay’ in Beat-Switching New Song

Punjabi producer and singer The Kidd aka Gagandeep Singh talks about his journey and the emotions he’s currently absorbing on his song “Okay,” featuring vocalist Ishan, lyricist Ilam and a production assist from Flex Singh.

In an interview with Rolling Stone India, The Kidd – who produced songs like “Legend” and “Levels” by Sidhu Moose Wala and has worked with Diljit Dosanjh (“Clash,” “Habit” off the G.O.A.T. album), Prem Dhillon (“Flirt”), Sikander Kahlon (“Mohali Anthem”) – says “Okay” offers a glimpse into the future as well.

One of the key draws of “Okay,” arguably, is the beat switch between Ishan and The Kidd’s verses. While Ishan wrote his own verse about “daily life, proper emotions of an artist and hustler who’s sticking to his craft,” The Kidd’s verse features lyrics written by Ilam that look back at the last five years of hits, being influenced by the Nineties and being a trendsetter and not a trend-follower. The Kidd says, “When it was my turn to write a verse, we were just sitting and what has never happened in Punjabi music or even hip-hop in India, or at least happened in very few tracks is that there’s been a switch. Like Drake’s songs or others, the switch never happens in our songs.”

A song about self-acceptance and staying true to one’s convictions, The Kidd says that the producer in him has always been open to experimenting with beats, informed by listening to artists “big or small.” He says it’s something he felt even more encouraged to do after Sidhu Moose Wala’s tragic passing in 2022. The Kidd says, “I was very down after his death and thought, ‘What will happen now?’ I was emotionally attached to him. I saw the way things were around me and decided I want to sing. It’s something Sidhu bhai also wanted from me. When I started exploring this, I was listening to all artists, Indian and international.”

The Kidd claims that he was among the first to introduce a boom bap sound to Punjabi music when he worked on “Legend” with Moose Wala, later crafting drill songs and staying ahead of the curve. “I think if there are more styles, I leave the older genres behind and experiment and try something new,” he adds. Affectionately referring to Moose Wala as Sidhu bhai, The Kidd says he not only gained musical knowledge but also “life knowledge” from the Punjabi star. “We used to jam every day and explore something or the other. In my bonding with Sidhu bhai, whatever he had in his mind, he didn’t even have to say – I would just come to know what he wanted. Our bonding was something like that. When I’m starting my career as a singer, the lessons I learned from Sidhu bhai are helping me a lot,” he adds.

When asked about the future of Punjabi music, The Kidd also makes it a point to look back at the history-makers so far, crediting the likes of Jazzy B and Sukshinder Singh for ushering in a modern era for independent artists since the Nineties. “Especially Sidhu bhai, he paved the road and showed all of us what we can do independently, pretty much everything. I think it opened a lot of avenues and you can see it with artists like AP Dhillon and Shubh who are on the Billboard charts today. Every artist that’s come has done something different and drawn a crowd,” The Kidd says.

The Kidd too has gained a lot of that crowd, saying he gets recognized by fans in public these days, from London to Mumbai. He’s giving that audience more projects in 2024. He says he’s taking a new approach, not stopping the music-making process between project releases like “Okay.” He adds, “There are singles and then my album this year. The album is very different and perhaps has songs that people wouldn’t ever expect from The Kidd. Ilam and I are the primary artists, Ilam has written the full album and I’ve sung and produced on the album. There are quite a few collaborations with big artists, we’ll reveal that when it’s ready.”

Watch the video for “Okay” below