K&G, Vol I-UAES EP Review

Galaxy Francis’ year has been busy. So far he dropped his first full-feature album, “Metal Gear Francis” and it's deluxe this year. That doesn’t include his exciting single “Cartel,” featuring frequent collaborator and fellow Chicago rapper Valee. 

Now he’s back, this time with Kenny Bureaux – a twenty-four-year-old African-American and Creole descent from Chicago, Illinois, who, much like Francis, can rap, produce, sing, and design. This is also Kenny’s first complete project since his “25” EP which was released in 2023. 

It’s clear – from the positive feedback following their collab, “i HATE 2 DO iT” which was on Francis’ “Metal Gear Francis,” to their EP being called Vol II –  that Galaxy Francis and Kenny Bureaux have a chemistry that’s palpable. 

While both boast a sound heavily audio-tune influenced individually, usually it’s complimented and well balanced with songs that are equally rap-forward or R&B centered. “K&G, Vol I” is much heavier on the auto-tuned, giving sounds likened to Toronto artist, NAV.  

For example, “OUTTA AUDi” Feat Josh K on Galaxy Francis’ last project showcased his ability to step out of the autotune box to deliver a fun song with tremendous replay while yet speaking clearly and audibly (disregarding the adlibs and layered vocals that were clearly doctored). 

And on Kenny’s “25”, there’s a song called “Going Out Sad!” that showcases his rapping ability to the fullest with minimal autotune. 

Such is not the case with “K&G, Vol I”, which doubled down on their autotune skills. It is not ironic that my favorite song and the song that I think is the clear best track on the EP is the record with the least amount of autotune, “Do You”

While they are still using autotune, the chorus’ vocals are more naked, producing a more grounded feel that I appreciated (Maybe they will get into more of that bag on Vol II). The instrumental is also absolute flames. 

The StudioSHAPES engineered project has a glass finish, as should come expected from the stored studio, which has also been ground zero for Mother Nature and Chairman Allen, among others. 

Overall the tape is worth a listen. These guys are oozing with talent and although it had a tad too much autotune for me, there are busts and spurts of brilliance on every track.