Austin talents Scott Collins and Kydd Jones come together for an unexpected, yet powerful collaboration that pairs an outpouring of emotion with beautiful melodies and poetic lyrics. Both artists have a considerably different musical background, with Collins sticking to a folk-rock, americana type of sound, and Jones being exclusively hip-hop. But it’s undeniable that they were able to mesh their styles together in a seemingly effortless manner, resulting in an alluring piece of music that will compel listeners to play this song on repeat.

The opening piano chords are perfectly complemented by Scott Collins’ high-pitched vocals, which serve as the lifeblood of the song. As is the case with many songs, the simplicity of the music really allows the vocals to shine with the aid of Jones’ production. Having known Scott for a while, I was initially a bit surprised to see him take a step into the hip-hop universe. But supposedly, this has been a prolonged goal for the local legend. He explains, “First off and above all, I've been listening to rap and hip hop my entire life starting with Kriss Kross, and since my youth playing basketball out in LA, Compton, Watts and more on a traveling basketball team… It's been a dream and career goal of mine to start singing with rappers and on hip hop records.” Collins was able to make this dream a reality through his relationship with the rising star known as Kydd Jones. Scott also mentioned that he wrote the hook roughly nine years ago, indicating that he was waiting for the perfect opportunity and partner to showcase what he had in store for so long.

There of course have been many collaborations from artists who cross genres to collaborate. But in some instances, the collaboration might seem forced or unnatural. One of the impressive things about “Headlights” is that it is so easy to digest despite these two artists being considerably different from each other. According to Collins, the creation process was indeed as effortless as it seems. “I already had the hook written so I just hopped into my studio with Engineer Dylan Fischer and recorded my vocals, acoustic guitars and keys… Kydd then rocked out all the production and his verse within a week, got it mastered and released it immediately the same day!” To assist in the process of creating such a cohesive track, Collins referenced “Love” by Kendrick Lamar as an inspiration to the track. There is definitely a smoothness to “Headlights” that is relatable to the Kendrick Lamar classic. “Headlights” consists of thought provoking lyrics, a silky beat, and a catchy hook, bridging these two artists together superbly.

Overall, the professionalism, skill, and creativity is undeniably palpable in this song. These are two musicians who appear to be approaching the prime of their careers. If it were up to me, I’d say Kydd Jones and Scott Collins should make an entire album together. But in the meantime, playing “Headlights” on repeat will have to suffice. Hit Scott's Bandcamp to check the track out and stay up to date with future releases.

— Quinn Donoghue

 Austin’s own song-writer, producer and MC, Randell “Kydd” Jones, is making history with new hip-hop, neo-protest song “Goblin”. While most musicians are scratching their heads in response to the screeching halt of live music, Jones pushes forward and refuses to let anything slow the progression of Black music in Austin.

Jones starts “Goblin” off by asking, "Yall want to be civil or want civil war?" Written and recorded as a form of therapy after attending a civil rights protest, the track directly addresses the unjust killing of George Floyd in the first verse. The self-produced beat carried by it's soothing vocal pads and throw-back shuffle groove, is a perfect landscape for the MC’s stark rhymes.

Kydd Jones started rapping with his brother (Tank Washington) as a teen, going on to perform at clubs like Victory Grill, a historical Black Music Bar/Venue in East Austin, while still attending high school. “Sometimes when I was younger, it felt like a struggle just to make people outside the hiphop community […] care about what we were doing,” remembers Jones. More recently, the MC performed as part of the first all-Black artist line-up of Austin’s Blues On The Green, aptly renamed to “Blues On The Screen” due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

In the current dystopian state of Austin, “Goblin” is the introspective, fever dream anthem we didn’t know we needed in 2020. “It was just an organic experience of recording the track and releasing it immediately the next morning without any kind of real rollout,” says Jones, concerning the streamlined production of “Goblin”. Regarding goals for the rest of the year, Jones states “My plan is honestly just to take care of my family and make music that inspires me.”

- Chris Lopez

Hip-hop should be as synonymous with Austin as any other genre of music. You might have noticed a bit more of it here at The Deli lately; that's my fault. Hey there, I'm Trevor Talley, and I've taken over as editor of The Deli Austin. While we're certainly gonna keep pumpin' out the good rock, folk and whatever else jams this city can create here at the ATX blog, one thing I'm doing as editor is to widen the focus of The Deli a bit and make sure that the good shit of all kinds that's coming out of the 512 gets its due.

In today's case, I'd like to kindly direct your e-gaze at Kydd, aka Kydd Jones, a bright comet shootin' out of the beats and rhymes system in this town. I went back today and found the first piece I did that mentioned Kydd, back when I was working the hip-hop and electronic beat for Red River Noise, and in that review (an RJD2 concert Kydd opened for) I said the man was a "true rapper, with a lazer-accurate flow." Two years later, Kydd has only gotten better. As a producer and a rapper, Kydd has quite obviously been doing work, watchin' where hip-hop is going and making sure he's right there with his own twist on it. "Who Are You" is the right question for the world to be asking about Kydd, and the snakelike winding of this slow-burner with trap snares and a stoned melody answers that question. He's goddamn Kydd Jones, one of the best artists in the ATX. I said back in that 2012 joint for RRN that Kydd could get big in the future, and this could well be that time. Keep your good ear on him, and keep your eye on The Deli for more of what you've loved in the past, and a little bit more. -- Trevor Talley @defenderdefends