Behind The Music: Wasted Youth – Louie Knuxx [Part Two]

A new segment for our readers.. “Behind The Music” is all about bringing you inside information about your favorite releases and better yet its direct from the artist. First up with have Louie Knuxx with “Wasted Youth”. Check part one out here.

Artist: Louie Knuxx

Album: Wasted Youth

Realease Date: 28/02/06

Track breakdown continued:

10. Broke As Fukk Feat. Dirt City & Astra prod by Des Davis
I’m really fond of this song, mainly because all the people who guested are dear to me. Sean (Fact) and I have known each other since we were kids and I’d known Neesh since he was a young buck. They both dropped killer verses and Astra sounded nice on the hook. 

Listen here: 

11. Uff That Ish Feat. Cyphanetik prod by Lues Fondue
This beat was wild to me when I got my hands on it, it was angry sounding and the lyrics followed accordingly. Jared smashed this, I guess people wouldn’t really know but he’s like my rap dad and Dom (Tourettes) is my rap mom, they nurtured and encouraged me into this shit, was pretty proud to get on a song with pops and tell everyone to get fucked together.

Listen here: 

12. That’s Good Feeling Feat. Usual Suspects prod by Saia
This was first done over a beat by Saia’s brother Rez but he had lost the files for it so Saia re-made it. Wanted to do some good vibes shit with suspects and I think we all found some middle ground on this. Love the sing-songy shit Saia did in his verse. Once again that is Astra adding some vox on the hook.

Listen here:

13. I See The Good In You Feat. Maia Rata prod by Exhile
I dont rate this song very much sonically speaking (although Maia’s hook is beautiful) but the words are meaningful and heartfelt. Shit is pretty much just a rhyming letter to a few people I love who were or had been experiencing hardships. This song makes my little sister cry which I guess what I was trying to convey should achieve, trying to put that overwhelming feeling of love you feel for the people closest to you into words in a song is some difficult shit but I guess when it is genuine those people it is meant to touch can feel it. This song was only there for them.

Listen here: 

14. Wasted Youth prod by Exhile
This song was also done first time around over a different beat. This song is just straight up and down for poor kids and ones who experienced similar shit to what I did, I was no where near as socially aware then as I am now but i definitely knew the world isn’t a fair place for a lot of people. My loyalty and heart always has and always will lay with those people.

Listen here: 

15. Keep Steppin (Spoken Word)
I fucking hate this shit, don’t even post it! not sure what I was trying to achieve here but the delivery is awful! If anyone tries to play this at my funeral I hope you fall in the grave with me!

16. Lose Ya Body Feat. Tourettes prod by Lerch
Dom likes drugs, I like drugs, Lerch makes crazy beats. Dom slid a nasty line the way of Fast Crew on this. Around that time Fast Crew’s management had called Jared threatening to put a retraining order on me because they thought I wanted to beat them up. Another tidbit for this song, I think if you follow a current NZ group who I wont name you’ll find they have re-arranged a phrase from my hook on this for a hook on their song, I see you!

Listen here: 

17. Melancholy Feat. Maia Rata prod by Saia (it was credited incorrectly on the album to Exile)
This was the very last song written and recorded for the album and probably my favorite. This was pretty much just me pouring out everything on a song, acknowledging it all and letting go of it and probably my first experience of writing in a therapeutic fashion (which I do a lot more now). I love this beat so much and Maia once again really enhanced the song with his vocals, originally I had sung those parts he did but it sounded shit.  

Listen here: 

18. Comedy Hour (Skit)
Not really very funny at all hahaa

Listen here: 

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In hindsight I often refer to Wasted Youth as a fluke or lucky, It was like an unplanned pregnancy that came out kind of beautiful, my new LP has been laborious in comparison but rewarding in different ways. The response the album received was amazing, great reviews, respect from my peers and a family that was enormously proud of me. I think one of the happiest moments in my life was arriving at my release party and seeing the huge crowd of people outside there to celebrate with me (much thanks to D-Form). I very rarely listen to anything off the album but when someone else puts it on the proud and happy feeling that was abundant in that time of my life resurfaces and that’s an amazing thing, it’s like a time capsule in audio form that brings back a lot of fond memories. I’m eternally grateful to Jared, Dan, Dom and all the guests and producers that contributed to the album.

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Check out part one here and then buy the album here. More “Behind The Music” coming soon..

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