Have A Word: An Interview With Kid Acne

Kid Acne has been a prominent figure on the UK art scene for almost as long as I’ve had an interest in art. On top of that, he’s been making rap records for over 20 years, including his most recent effort, Hauntology Codes, alongside blog favourite, Spectacular Diagnostics. We both live in the same city now and I’ve been fortunate enough to hang out with him a couple of times, so I thought it might be a good idea to turn one of our chats into an interview.
So in what is my most expansive interview to date, we spoke about a diverse range of topics, including the new album, his artistic origin story, his relationship with Lex Records, the perils of keeping art and music separate, and doing magic mushrooms while travelling through a hail storm in a car with Quelle Chris.

Hauntology Codes is out now via Lex.

Photos by Rob Searle.

Kid Acne: Batman on Horseback + LP News

Multi-hyphenate Kid Acne is back on the rap radar with a new single, taken from his forthcoming album. Batman on Horseback is lifted from Hauntology Codes, which is due out soon on Lex Records. The album is produced in full by regular collaborator, Spectacular Diagnostics, and it also features a bevy of vocal talent from UK greats, Sonnyjim, King Kashmere and Cappo.

Spectacular Diagnostics: Raw Lessons (Stream)

Following some much deserved hype and anticipation, the new album from Spectacular Diagnostics arrives in all its splendour today. Raw Lessons is another feature heavy affair, with some truly unique pairings, including a track with Immi Larusso and Bruiser Wolf, while elsewhere regular Spec collaborator, Kid Acne, joins forces with Sonnyjim. There are also features from the likes of Fatboi Sharif, Lee Scott, CLBRKS and TheDeadCanRap. The album is available to preview below, then head to Bandcamp to check the full lineup and secure ownership of the vinyl or a download.

Kid Acne: Fresh To Death (Stream)

New arrival from Kid Acne, as he rejuvenates some of the choice cuts from his 2019 Have A Word LP, with a blinding selection of remixes from some of the UK’s finest beat fiends. Fresh To Death features a handful of tracks from the original album – produced in full by Spectacular Dianostics – which have been tantalisingly reworked by some of my favourite producers. On the bill we find new sounds from Theorist, Hashfinger, Chemo, King Kashmere, Norm Oddity, Percy Filth and Nappa, as well as vocal features from Juga-Naut and Juice Aleem, who both appeared on the original album. Each producer brings their own flair to the proceedings, allowing them to make the track their own, while still keeping the original flavour alive. Fresh To Death is available to download now via Bandcamp, and there are also a limited run of cassettes available, which all come signed and numbered. The run is limited to 150 though so be quick if you want in. You can also hear the project for yourself below.

Spectacular Diagnostics: Raw Unknown (Stream)

A big release here from the prolific Chicago producer with the excellent name, Spectacular Diagnostics, as he unveils his Raw Unknown album. SD has managed to amass a hefty list of features for the album, including guest spots from Quelle Chris, billy woods, Vic Spencer, Koncept Jack$on, Rome Streetz and Sadhu Gold, plus a nice little handstyle from Kid Acne on the artwork. You can stream Raw Unknown for yourself in full below.

Mongrels: Attack the Megalith

Last year’s Attack the Monolith album from Mongrels was a highlight among listeners and critics alike. Kid Acne and Benjamin brought their unique styles together to form an album that harked back to years gone by, while looking directly towards the future. Now we have Attack the Megalith, which is a remix project featuring some of the most exciting producers from UK hip hop and beyond. Hashfinger, Morriarchi, Third Person Lurkin, Sam Zircon, Charlie Dark, Midfield General, Juga-Naut and King Kashmere, all step up to the plate, with a fresh polish for eight of the album’s original gems. The EP is out today and you can buy your copy here.

Mongrels ft. Sebash & Lord Rao: You Dig Raps? Pt. 2 (Morriarchi Remix)

More remix madness from the excellent project which Mongrels dropped earlier in the year. You may remember me posting up a remix from Hashfinger a while back, well this time Kid Acne & Benjamin have drafted in Morriarchi to bring his trademark sound to the mix.

Mongrels: Full Moon/Half Moon

Been meaning to post something about Mongrels for a while because as far as collaborations go, this is pretty cool. Comprised of Benjamin the DJ and Kid Acne the MC, Mongrels are set to release their debut LP on 6 May on the Invisible Spies label. This is the first single, following on from an EP at the start of the year, which was well received by listeners and critics alike.