The Sound of Kofi Hunter - Exclusive Q&A With the Acclaimed Drummer
Meet the Music Supervisor and Actor in Our Upcoming Film
When I received word that I was getting a grant that I needed to make The Sound of Southside happen, the first person that I had to speak to -- aside from my wife -- was Queens-based Jazz musician Kofi Hunter. Why? Because you can't make a Jazz film without Jazz cats, and you definitely can't fake good drumming. Kofi's fingerprints are all over this film. His songs "Ntokwa" and "Riding 4 Big Floyd" add much-needed authenticity, and along with his music, Kofi appears in the film as well making his film debut.You can catch his debut on May 13th in Queens at the free premiere here (Check it out before it hits film festivals and online platforms!). Also, the official Sound of Southside novel which the film is based on is available for preorder here.Tap into our Q&A below!
As a Queens-based Jazz artist, you are the essence of what we tried to capture in the film. What was the experience like for you on set?
It was honestly a great experience, Tyrel is a brilliant cat, he assembled a great cast, and I’m honored to be a part of something that will definitely go down as an important part of the legacy of great art produced in Jamaica Queens. It was my first time on screen, but Tyrel made me feel super comfortable. I'm looking forward to doing more creative work on the film side of things. I caught the bug!
The tune of yours that you chose to use as “The Sound of Southside” in the film is so chilling and real. Can you talk about the process of cooking up that song, and how did you know it was right for the film?
Yea, that tune is originally called ‘Riding 4 Big Floyd’ and it’s definitely one of the more personal pieces that I’ve ever written. It came to me kinda suddenly, in the midst of the civil unrest that was happening in America in the summer of 2020, after the wake of the police-sanctioned murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. I remember feeling helpless, and angry. I went to the streets and protested with my friends and neighbors. When I came back home I was watching the news, and the melody for the song showed up, and I recorded it on my garage band app on my iPhone. Later I got a band together and recorded. The song was birthed out of tension and conflict, so when Tyrel showed me the scene in Sound of Southside I knew that song would be perfect to capture the feeling he was looking for.
"My Dad is a Jazz musician so I grew up with the music in my house, and it’s in my blood"
A lot of people don’t know about the rich Jazz History in Queens. How did growing up in the borough help shape you as an artist?
Well it impacted me in ways that I didn’t even realize until I got older. & in ways that I think might not be that obvious, like just growing up seeing Jazz musicians faces on the side of buildings, being named after schools, post offices, recreation centers—it almost subliminally let me know that these artists , and this art form is to be revered. I didn’t realize how important that was to the formation of my taste, and my ability to be open to listening to this “old” music. My Dad is a Jazz musician so I grew up with the music in my house, and it’s in my blood, I think that lead me to ultimately following my path as an artist, but still when I went out in the world it wasn’t that popular or current, so at times I felt isolated—but it was when I did my research about the Jazz history in my neighborhood that I truly a sense of community broth figuratively and literally.
I’ve peeped that you’ve been in the studio cooking up. What should we expect from Kofi Hunter going forward?
Yea I’m always working on music. I have like 20 songs I’m sitting on right now, and I’m still cooking every day, but I’m trying to be a little more thoughtful with how I release music these days. In the past I’d kinda just put stuff out without much thought being put into the roll out, and I’m trying to change that. I’d like to release a project soon, I have the material, but now I’m trying to put together a comprehensive roll out with images, music videos, bts footage etc. Tryna do it right!