Young Cocoa reaches a new level of confidence and versatility on his new EP, liv, luvv, cocoa—out today via Sony Music Entertainment.
The 7-track release showcases his range as both an artist and curator, reigniting his affinity for creating sun-dappled jams with timeless appeal. Summer-ready, whimsical, fun, and completely stripped off its pretense, liv, luvv, cocoa marks his arduous journey towards self-reflection and contentment, channeling his realizations, experiences, and observations about life and love into alternative hip-hop earworms that cut across new and innovative sounds.
“It’s interesting because this was the first time, I mixed in both my own personal experiences and referenced other people’s experiences to create narratives in a song, allowing me to retain a sense of authenticity in these tracks,” shares the young MC. “Most of these songs are about love and relationships, sprinkled in with heartbreak and talking about my growth as an artist and how I feel about myself. There’s also definitely a lot of me talking my shit on this record for sure, just because it felt right at the time to do so.”
Sonically speaking, Young Cocoa’s latest EP embodies his mission to “make OPM global,” while blending his experiments in alternative hip-hop with his smooth and joyful delivery. The multi-talented rapper-producer reveals his eclectic side on this project, assembling a sonic template filled with nostalgic and organic elements, bouncy and enigmatic samples, and pulsating beats.
Instead of entrusting his vision with one producer, Young Cocoa branches out into collaborating with several key players in hip-hop and electronic music production, including Brido, Playertwo (Luke April, Ivo Impreso, Wave P) Trizzy, and CRWN, who all brought his ideas back to life. Realizing that each producer has a different approach to things regarding creativity and execution, the Filipino hip-hop newcomer learned so much from the process and even managed to tap into varying sonic spaces that allowed him to explore and push his boundaries.
The Manila hitmaker explains, “Originally, I had intended for it to be a mixtape, but it evolved into something that felt cohesive enough to let go of the label I gave it. It took over 10 months and countless sessions with a number of producers to really get the songs lined up to a point where they felt cohesive, and I think throughout the process I had to balance out intuition versus being analytical about the sound. It was definitely a lot of hard work, but this project ended up becoming exactly how I pictured it in terms of mood, sound, messaging, and tone. All in all, everyone was enjoyable to work with and respected everything I was trying to pursue in terms of sound.”
The focus track “Baby Teka Lang,” which samples the Sexbomb Girls’ underrated bop “Stupid Ka Rin,” serves as one of the EP’s main highlights. Produced by PlayerTwo’s Luke April, the song went through several iterations, flipping from a hip-hop beat to a trap beat and finally finding its groove on a reggae backbeat that perfectly matches its wavy synths and funky bass lines.
The focus track will be accompanied by a music video set in the 1950s Philippines by prod house Quismo, drawing inspiration from early 2000s videos commonly featured on music video channels like MYX Philippines. “True to the tropical vibe of reggae, we wanted to have the scenery outdoors, depicting the ocean,” Young Cocoa adds. “We also wanted to break out of norms associated with what a rap video normally looks like and went for something campy.”
Other notable tracks in the EP include Young Cocoa’s “MR. SWAG,” where he explores a goal he has been pursuing for a long time: music production. The catchy tune, which reflects his personality the most, is also one of the most carefree songs in the EP. “MASTER OF NONE,” another personal favorite of YC, embraces a more serious approach in terms of delivery, theme and dynamics. Young Cocoa shares, “There are 3 beats on this, and the flow changes a lot throughout the song, and I felt like if I’m going to talk my shit on this specific track, I should be able to really back it up with rap ability and versatility. I felt very free making this, and that’s why I love it so much.”
Young Cocoa’s new EP “liv, luvv, cocoa” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment. The focus track “Baby Teka Lang” will premiere at 6 p.m. via this link.
