Belgian-Cameroonian rapper, producer, and composer Kunde returns with 'Late Bloomer', an album that offers a moment of calm amid the turbulence of modern life. Released via W.E.R.F. Records, the project unfolds as a warm, immersive soundscape where psychedelic rock, jazz, and Dilla-inspired hip-hop intersect.
Featuring collaborators including Fred Gata, Helena Casella, OKON, and Tennishu, 'Late Bloomer' blends poetic storytelling with reflections on identity, memory, and belonging. Drawing inspiration from icons such as John Coltrane, J Dilla, and D’Angelo, Kunde continues the trajectory he set with 2024’s 'Dandelion', crafting music that feels intimate yet expansive.
So with the new album out now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
A lot of instruments caught my fascination, but I gravitated to the piano, as it is the instrument that helped me navigate music as a language the most. It’s where it all kind of came to make sense.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
As a child I was inundated with different kinds of music, I loved Salsa, Afrobeat, pan-African music but I really caught the spark listening to hip hop around the age of ten. That’s where it all started for me.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Growing up, I was always surrounded by music. Both my parents had a broad record collection, and my father was a musician. We practically grew up in the rehearsal space of his pan-African band Likalo, immersed in African polyrhythms.
So I didn’t really “own” music until much later, I inherited a groove-based framework. Rhythm became my entry point into understanding Western contemporary music, which is deeply rooted in African tradition. It’s how I taught myself to analyse, to beatbox, and eventually to produce. That’s also why Latin music fascinated me, the intricate and beautiful interplay between harmony and rhythm felt like a bridge between worlds I already sensed were connected.
On a spiritual level, one of the artists who stood out early on was Fela Kuti. The repetition, the trance, the political urgency, it felt alive.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
I don’t usually think in terms of “I wish I wrote this song” but more like “Oh I love this sound, how did they do it” and then I listen to it over and over again for enjoyment and in the process I get to dissect and understand it. Two songs that come to mind are ‘After the Storm’ from Tyler the Creator featuring Kali Uchis, Bootsy Collins and BADBADNOTGOOD. Red Room from Hyatus Kayiote.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
When I’m working on a project, especially an album, I try to approach the day with intention. I start slow: coffee, breakfast, maybe a video that sparks my curiosity. Then I take a shower to clear my head before sitting at the piano and letting things unfold.
I try to stay relaxed. For me, ideas don’t respond well to tension. Sometimes inspiration shouts, and when it does, you have to capture it immediately before it disappears. But most of the time it whispers. And for that, you need quiet. You need space. If your mind is too loud, you’ll miss it.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Lately I’ve been listening to Bobby Caldwell, Leon Thomas, Sam Wilkes & Jacob Mann.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Tyler the Creator, I love his artistic vision. There’s a certain kinship in our musical DNA’s, I can’t fully explain it but I feel it.
Fun fact: I wrote “Shoulda” the fourth single of Late Bloomer while listening to one of his interviews. In the original demo, you can still hear his voice bleeding into the mic because it was playing in the background.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
The feeling you get when you listen to your music and it tickles your ears, and you just want to listen to it over and over. That’s like a huge dopamine hit for me.
And what is the most frustrating part?
As a musician, you’re often the one doing the actual work (writing, rehearsing, recording, performing) yet you’re the last one to see the money. And in a time where music is increasingly commodified and even outsourced to AI on streaming platforms, that imbalance feels sharper than ever.
On top of that, navigating the industry, the politics, the gatekeepers, the constant pressure to perform beyond the music itself, can be exhausting. Sometimes it feels like the circus around the art gets more attention than the art itself.
That said, I chose this path, or this path chose me. Either way I’m grateful for the life I have, that allows me to make music I love and to deepen my own experience of being human and connect with like-minded souls through the vibrations we share in a room.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
“You gotta love the boring things”. That’s something Kiefer Shackelford once told me, the only formal piano lesson I ever took was an online session with him. And honestly, it’s been one of the most valuable pieces of advice I’ve received. Because if you can attain that level of love for a craft, the craft will love you back and it compounds over time.
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Kunde's new album 'Late Bloomer' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.