I.K.P. shares new EP ‘PSYCHE’

Based in Brooklyn, I.K.P., which stands for The Infamous King of Positivity, exists in the sort of creative lane that cannot be neatly boxed in. A non-binary Garifuna rapper-producer, Marine veteran and independent force, their work draws from real life trauma, determination and identity, reshaping those experiences into queer-centred hip hop that delivers a sonic output unlike any other. Across music, advocacy and cultural conversation, I.K.P. has built a presence rooted in truth-telling and radical visibility, where art becomes both mirror and movement.

Born Kenny M. Alvarez in Brooklyn and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, I.K.P. developed discipline and performance talents during five years of service in the US Marine Corps. After an honourable discharge, they attended Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Music Business and that combination of lived intensity and formal industry knowledge would later become central to their independent path.

I.K.P. first made their mark in 2011 with debut album Ignoring the Known Protocol, revealing an artist interested in exploring something new, led by the OutMusic Award-nominated single and video “Let It B. Known,” alongside follow-up track “Hunt Me Down.” It was an opening statement that suggested both confidence and intent, with I.K.P. moving immediately into building a catalogue on their own terms.

That momentum continued through projects including I.K.P. 4 President Part 1: E Pluribus Unum and Executive Realness in 2013, which produced singles such as “Super-Trippy,” the title track and “No Mention.” By the time In Positivity We Trust: I.K.P. 4 President, Pt. 2 arrived in 2015, the scope of the work had expanded further. That knack for engaging personal and social themes has remained one of I.K.P.’s defining strengths and their catalogue is mythically bold, emotionally exposed and politically aware, shaped by experiences that include military trauma, homelessness and substance abuse.

Now, I.K.P. returns with new EP titled PSYCHE, a four-track release that feels less like a sharpened personal manifesto. Across the EP, the artist invites listeners into a space of radical honesty where healing remains active, boundaries are non-negotiable and growth is treated as necessary rather than optional. Named after the asteroid in astrology representing the soul’s journey and self-discovery, PSYCHE functions as a thematic meditation on identity, battle, devotion and self-realisation.

Opening with “Off Topp,” the rattle of punching drums is met by I.K.P.s powerful vocal delivery, their razor-sharp rapped bars rolling over a pounding instrumental backdrop to craft a gripping soundscape. Cut with snapping hi hats and lively backing vocalisations, it’s an anthemic alternative hip hop outing packed full of exhilarating rhythms, immersive arrangement and dashes of memorable melodic flashes.

“Kill Or B Killed” follows with the hazy sweep of lo-fi instrumental tones and smokey vocal elements before jumping into a grooving scene of deep low end rumbles, the contrasting twinkle of bright piano flickers and I.K.P.’s commanding vocal work. “Love Element” presents a track that captures the duality running through I.K.P.’s artistic vision; years of betrayal, burnout and personal reckoning are transformed into something that feels both battle cry and balm.

Closing track “Lead With Love” arrives with woozy key textures before laid back vocals glide above as sparse percussive shots build up the rhythm, setting up a downtempo hip hop jam that shows the range of I.K.P.’s sonic output. With PSYCHE, I.K.P. continues expanding queer visibility within hip hop while amplifying a legacy already built on strength and fearless self-definition.

Listen to PSYCHE below