AT just 15 years old, Ipswich rapper YKL is seeing his star rise fast – and his latest project could be the one that launches him into a new league within the rap game.
The video for his upcoming release Cold was filmed last week at Haig St Quarry in Brassall, and early reviews suggest this track is shaping up to be his strongest work yet.
Featuring a lineup of sleek show cars and a dark, cinematic energy, the visual perfectly matches the intensity of the song.
“This is by far his biggest, cleanest and most polished visual project to date – and the whole team is confident that Cold will make a serious impact when it drops,” said his father, Aaron Long.
YKL – real name Kielen – continues to gain momentum, recently joining the Raw Wavs collective, a network of 30 artists from the UK, Canada, Norway and across Australia.
“It’s a huge career milestone and a strong reflection of the direction he’s heading in,” Mr Long said.
In recent months, YKL has performed at Blutes Bar in Fortitude Valley, Nerang alongside TGT Reaper, and even at Queensland Raceway, where he shared the stage with UK acts MDOTR and Devilman.
“He performed in front of around 200 people and was supported by the artists backstage – he said it was the best feeling he’s ever had on stage,” his father said.
YKL has also featured on the Soundtake Podcast, now streaming on YouTube, and will return to Blutes Bar on February 7, opening for Perth artist Bitter Belief.
Looking ahead, he has plenty more in the pipeline, including two major collaborations with Western Sydney’s Donny Diesel, expected to draw plenty of attention.
But for now, all eyes are on Cold – a track and music video that promise to be YKL’s boldest artistic statement yet.
