What does Denzel Curry think of today’s hip-hop? In the interview he talks about The Scythe, “Strictly 4 the Scythe” and his vision for rap as a community.
When Denzel Curry strolls into the backstage area of Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle on a spring evening in February, the rapper – in locks and a black hoodie against the Dortmund cold – appears deeply relaxed. In just a few minutes it will be time to enter the stage of the Ruhrpott Stadium, where he will open the concert for none other than the Deftones.
This is already routine for Denzel Curry – if it weren’t for one special feature that shows the excitement on his face even as a casual support act: he recently introduced the supergroup The Scythe, who are releasing their debut album “Strictly 4 the Scythe” on March 6th. The already released singles “Lit Effect” and “The Scythe” by the group around Curry, Bktherula, TiaCorine, A$AP Ferg and Key Nyata present the album as a futuristic interpretation of Southern hip-hop, which was once influenced by greats like OutKast, Three 6 Mafia and Goodie Mob.
“The idea behind founding the group was to create a community. These artists are my friends, and I believe in their talents. We encourage each other to be even better,” says Denzel Curry in an interview. “We want to build a community.” Fans should be able to hear that from the album, says the 31-year-old, on whose initiative the group was formed. “I’m excited because it’s the first time for me to work together in a group like this. But I believe in the music. The whole album is a joy, a big journey.”
The basis of such a collaboration is unconditional trust, he says: “We agreed that we wanted to make a great record. We racked each other’s brains and were able to create something together that has value for hip-hop as a genre. And of course, just fun!”
Homage to southern rap
Denzel Curry, born in Florida in 1995 to Bahamian parents, has been an active rapper for almost fifteen years. His debut album “Nostalgic 64” hit the Miami hip-hop scene like a bomb in 2013. The artist has since been considered one of the pioneers of SoundCloud rap. Strictly 4 The Scythe is Denzel Curry’s first full-length project since 2024’s album version of King Of The Mischievous South, the official mixtape that launched his career and reissued in remastered form.
The upcoming work combines the lyrical acumen of Curry and his collaborators with the classic raw Southern sounds of a decades-long hip-hop legacy. “We pay homage to Southern hip-hop – Uncle Luke and Three 6 Mafia, UGK, 8Ball and MJG, OutKast and the Dungeon Family. We are their descendants. Our ancestors in hip-hop in general and Southern rap in particular helped us discover who we are and think outside the box.” Denzel Curry says he has a deep appreciation for the culture in which he grew up. This finds its way into his creative process. “I want to create music that’s different than anything I’ve done before. My music is always gaining momentum. I want to make music that you can play in stadiums, in clubs and in cars alike.”
An artist’s path with detours
For a long time, it wasn’t a given for Denzel Curry that his music had the reach to fill stadiums. As a student, he was expelled from the High School of Design and Architecture (DASH) in the Miami Design District. “All I wanted was to be an artist. Getting kicked out of art school made me who I am today.” Because the expulsion didn’t stop Denzel Curry from art. He still vividly remembers how, years later, after numerous hip-hop successes, he met a former school teacher on the street.
When she found out his name, she immediately knew who he was. “You’re the famous one,” she said, Curry remembers – and smiles. The time after high school was anything but easy, he says. His parents separated, one brother went to university, another fought in backyard fights, and one had to look after his niece – between school and prison. It was just him and his father at home – and the music. Role models like Tyler, The Creator, Earl Sweatshirt and Big KRIT, Wiz Khalifa, Curren$y and SpaceGhostPurrp populated his room until his breakthrough came in the early 2010s.
Hope in the young generation
Experiences from this time still shape his view of the world today – including the violent death of his brother and well-known backyard fighter Treon Johnson due to police violence. He died of cardiac arrest in police custody in hospital in 2014 after being incapacitated by officers with a Taser and pepper spray. “Back then, that triggered me to look at politics much more critically. I’m not a political rapper, but what I observe definitely comes through in my songs.”
Police violence has returned to the headlines in light of the US immigration authorities’ violent crackdown on both migrants and US citizens. Does this hit him particularly hard? “It’s no more painful for me than usual because this has been going on for years. The current situation just gives me more stuff to talk about to make people more aware,” says Denzel Curry. “I’ve never really gotten over my brother’s death. I’m just getting better at dealing with it every day.” Despite the current political situation, the rapper is confident that change can happen. “This generation is moving faster than any previous one. People have learned a lot about social injustice. Young people are moving forward.”
Editorial recommendations
Hip hop as a community
Today, Denzel Curry is particularly proud of how far music has taken him personally. “I can travel the world with my friends making our music. My parents were able to buy a house, my manager too. I was able to make music my life.” Now he’s starting a new chapter with The Scythe – one that he hopes can permanently change hip-hop as a whole.
“I want young rappers to understand that the old rap generation only wants to help them. And, conversely, that the old generation of rappers stop talking down the young ones. Respect each other, learn from each other, and start living hip-hop as a community.”
