Kenzo Str8drop - Hood Exit (Album)

Manchester rapper Kenzo Str8drop delivers his highly anticipated debut album Hood Exit via NQ, a 12 track project capturing the tension between the life he knows and the future he is determined to create for himself.

That sense of survival and self reliance runs throughout the record, from the defiant “Intro” through to previous singles “Opp Weather” and “Who Needs Enemies?”. “Like Me II”, a sequel to his 2023 track “Like Me”, provides one of the album’s most personal moments, documenting the highs, lows and realities that have shaped his journey. Shepherd’s Bush rapper Marlow P supplies the project’s only feature on the bouncing “New One”, while longtime collaborator Kong provides much of the production, giving Kenzo space to explore different sounds without losing the uncompromising edge at the heart of his music.

Hood Exit arrives after a remarkable rise for Kenzo. “Trap Flow” and debut EP Bricks & Sticks amassed more than 20 million streams while he was incarcerated, before collaborations with Aitch and recognition from KISS XTRA helped push his name further. Having also stepped into fashion through work with Stone Island and Louis Vuitton for Selfridges, Hood Exit feels like Kenzo’s most complete statement so far: a record built on resilience, ambition and the determination to turn obstacles into something bigger.