Illusive Presents and Frontier Touring are thrilled to announce that Brooklyn-bred, Manhattan-based MC KOTA The Friend will bring his FOTO Tour to Australia and New Zealand in February 2020. The latest flamespitter in a long lineage of MCs, KOTA will perform debut headline shows in Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in celebration of his latest release FOTO (out now through Flight Boys).

FOTO marks the fourth project and debut album from multi-instrumentalist, producer and rapper KOTA The Friend. Each track embodies KOTA’s calm nature and veteran flow accentuated with a stunningly smooth soundscape. The 19-track album echoes the strong jazz, soul and hip-hop influences from KOTA’s youth growing up in the infamous 90s. The mellow vibes from each song are matched with lyrical heat; from breezy ‘Bagels (Feat. Lizzy Ashliegh)’, bar heavy ‘KOALA’, light bangers ‘Hollywood’, ‘Backyard’ to jewel ‘Solar Return (Feat. Saba)’. The reflective project showcases the pages of KOTA’s life acting as a conceptual photo album.

‘Accentuated with gorgeous, mellow soundscapes, largely produced by Kota himself, the 19-song work is an absolutely gorgeous collection of lush, honest, upper echelon hip-hop that deserves to be slowly sipped and savoured.’ – Exclaim