Kossisko Releases New Single 'Finally Free' From SLAYERZ BALL Album

GRAMMY-nominated artist Kossisko (they/them/theirs) released “Finally Free” from their SLAYERZ BALL album due June 7 alongside a performance video filmed at the iconic East West Studios in Studio One where Frank Sinatra recorded many of his songs.

"I wanted to get really personal and turn my pain into an empowering anthem,” said Kossisko. The song title pretty much conveys the meaning of the song.  When I wrote the song I really wanted to just share times in my life I was bullied and was really down on myself but then in the end I learned how to cope with those things and turn the pain into strength." 

In discussing the iconic East West Studios, they add, "At the end of the day I’m a fan so when I get to work in places where you can almost feel this sort of electric energy from all the history and iconic artists that have passed through there. It always reminds me why I fell in love with music. It was such a cool experience to get to shoot my live pieces there. The acoustics and sound you get in that room is f*cking incredible, I think the room just adds another dimension to whatever is done lol; it has its own spirit.”

SLAYERZ BALL is infused with electrifying funk, disco allure and R&B beats with soulful melodies serving as an ode to freedom, empowerment, and authenticity, encompassing themes of liberation, sexuality, love, and unapologetic self-expression.  The new single, “Finally Free,” follows “Talk To Me,” and “Rich Bi$h” - the song that led to collaborating with Rick James’s Stone City Band for this record.

Kossisko will perform in West Hollywood on June 13 at the Peppermint Club following his record release. Tickets are on sale now.

Kossisko started writing and recording demos with Grammy-winning producer, Cole M.G.N. (Beck, Real Estate) and Nathan Judd, an indie producer from New Zealand. They got the idea to try recording an entire album with Rick James’s Stone City Band, which proved to be logistically impossible but band leader and producer, Levi Ruffin consulted on how they got their vibe — the harmonies, how they recorded, all the secret sauce.

 The album brings together the funk genius of Rick James mixed with the dance-all-night vibes of Prince, the joy of RuPaul, and the sexy soul of Donna Summer but making SLAYERZ BALL required a couple of reckonings. One was the discovery of a cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a rare condition in which blood vessels in the brain get tangled. Kossisko suffered seizures, tingling, and numbness — all symptoms of this brain injury. “The doctors thought I’d suffered a minor stroke, but found out later I was born with this and now it was hemorrhaging,” they say. “If I hadn’t been hospitalized, there was a big chance I would have died.” The record was in progress when it was discovered. When they went back to work on it, it was with a newfound sense of freedom. “I came into it like this was my last record because I’d faced death.”

Kossisko also underwent a major evolution in their presentation of their gender. “I’ve been nonbinary my entire life, but I didn’t have the language or community so I didn’t understand it,” they say. They started dressing in drag as a kid, experimenting with their mom’s clothes. Playing with a goth-glam look in previous projects was what they considered first giving themselves the freedom to dress in drag publicly  — which was a much-needed pivot away from their misogynistic rap persona. With their last 2022 World of Trouble album, they started to embrace the overtly feminine, wearing clothes cut for women’s bodies and going full glam makeup. “But then I would never address my gender identity because I didn’t feel safe in doing it,” they say. With SLAYERZ BALL, that all changes. “Now, I’ve been through a lot of s and I know I have to live my truth.”

Born of African and Jewish blood, Kossisko was raised in the eclectic air of Berkeley, California. Conversely, when Kossisko was a teen their father sent them to live in the Ivory Coast where they spent two hard years bouncing around between boarding schools and family members. The diversity of these experiences contributed greatly to the singer, songwriter and actor’s unique gifts. 

Kossisko is an innovative musical artist, actor and composer in the intersection of film, music and fashion. The gender-fluid artist has appeared in HBO’s wildly successful Euphoria, and portrayed themself in two seasons of Netflix’s Sex/Life plus various television licenses and video game features such as Grand Theft Auto V and Marvel. Additionally they have been featured in an iPhone 5C campaign and additionally shined as a sought after model, working for Billionaire Boys Club, Mr. Saturday and Midnight Studios.

In 2012, Kossisko, was known as the rapper called, 100s. They released their debut mixtape, Ice Cold Perm after getting signed to Fool’s Gold Records in 2013 and they toured with ASAP Ferg, Kreayshawn and performed five shows at SXSW. During that year, Complex named them the new rapper to watch out for. 100s then released another mixtape in 2014 with Ivry which received high praise from The Fader, Stereogum and Washington Post amongst many others with the hit single, “Life of a Mack” appearing on the Grand Theft Auto V soundtrack. Their debut EP, Red White N Cruel landed in 2015 and in 2021 they received their first Grammy nomination as a songwriter on Beck’s album, Hyperspace for the song, “Die Waiting.” They went on to release LOW in 2019 and World of Trouble in 2022.

Kossisko’s expression through this new music encourages everyone to not give a damn about what others think about you. Nor be marginalized because of your challenges. So whether it’s mental health issues, anxiety, depression or anything that would hold one back from having agency, their music affirms that we all deserve joy and the space to be who we are without being defined by people who don’t get you. Kossisko believes this attitude is the highest form of self-care, a self-care that lets you take your rightful place in the world.

Photo Credit: Sophia Schrank 

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