Is FakeFree KP The New Face Of Ruff Ryders? “What It Be” Makes A Strong Case by NWO Sparrow

Rapid Review of Fakefree KP "What It Be"

Beats - 10/10

Lyrics - 10/10

Concepts- 10/10

Roll-out- 5/10

Replay Value- 10/10

Vibe Check - 10/10

Visual Appeal - 10 /10

Over a legendary DMX-inspired sample, KP delivers pain, conviction, and the kind of energy missing from today’s hip-hop landscape. by NWO Sparrow

I stumbled across this record while I had on a DMX mix on YouTube. I just be in my zone sometimes, I wasnt in a bad mood , don’t judge me. Then this record came on and I immediately said to myself, “Who had the nerve to sample X and one of his most notable records, ‘What’s My Name?’” Usually when artists touch legendary records like that, it feels forced or like cheap nostalgia bait. But this was different. The voice sounded hungry. The pain sounded real. The energy felt authentic.

That artist happened to be FakeFree KP. A rising South West Philly artist carrying undeniable Ruff Ryders DNA in both his sound and presentation, KP has slowly been building a name for himself through gritty storytelling, aggressive delivery, and records that feel rooted in real-life experience. There’s a certain hunger in his music that can’t be manufactured. You hear somebody who understands the culture he comes from and respects the lineage attached to it.

When I heard the record, I sat up listening because I wanted to see what KP actually had to say. Anybody can rap over a legendary sample. Very few can survive it. He kicks his verse off aggressive with lines such as, “cuz s*** get nasty when you blast it and you blam it dog / won’t see ya man tomorrow / cuz we sent your man to Mars.” Witty, funny, disrespectful in the right way, and most importantly, it flows smoothly. The bars don’t feel overly forced or stuffed together just to sound tough. The cadence naturally rides the production.

Okay, so now I know KP has the punchlines. What’s next?

It was the presence over the sample production and the authentic animation that made this record come to life. Lines such as “tell ya man to pipe down my n****s will pull them pipes out / like RRHAA RRHAA light em out now its lights out” hit because KP understands performance. He doesn’t just rap words. He attacks the beat with conviction. You can hear the influence of X, but you can also hear a young artist comfortable in his own skin. That’s an important difference. This is not a new artist doing his best DMX impression. This is an artist aligned with who he is while paying homage to someone who clearly inspired him.

As the record continues, KP gets more painful and you can hear it in his voice. The aggression never sounds cartoonish. It sounds personal. The tension in his delivery makes the song believable because it feels like he actually lived through the emotions he’s putting on wax. A lot of artists today confuse yelling with passion. KP understands that pain has texture. Sometimes it sounds aggressive, sometimes it sounds exhausted, and sometimes it sounds like somebody trying to survive. That emotional honesty is what separates “What It Be” from artists trying to recreate the Ruff Ryders era aesthetically without understanding the soul behind it.

If anything, KP has what it takes to carry Ruff Ryders into 2026 and beyond.

More so than the music, the video carries the same old Double R aesthetics that made Ruff Ryders legendary in the first place. Street bikes, a strong team around him, gritty street energy, and the feeling of somebody planting their flag directly in the middle of the city. The visual doesn’t feel overly polished or manufactured for TikTok moments. It feels lived in. That matters because the video completes the experience of the record instead of distracting from it. You watch it and immediately understand the type of artist KP is.

The hook here is simple and effective: “what it is what it be though.” It’s not necessarily what is being said, it’s how it’s conveyed. Aggressive, convicted, believable. Some hooks are catchy because they’re melodic. Others work because the artist makes you feel every word. KP does the second one. He sounds like he stands on every line he says.

The line that stands out the most to me is when KP says, “what it is what it be though / play with something safe / n**** never me though / better listen with ya ears not ya ego.” That’s strong, definitive, and honestly street gospel. The reason the line lands so hard is because it carries layers to it. On the surface it’s a warning. Underneath that, it’s also commentary about survival, pride, and understanding your environment. “Better listen with ya ears not ya ego” is probably the realest line on the record because ego gets people hurt every day. KP delivers it with the type of conviction where you believe he learned that lesson firsthand.

Throughout the record, KP takes pride in carrying the Ruff Ryders flag and honestly, he has reason to do so. He understands the spirit of that movement. The hunger. The aggression. The loyalty. The pain. Most importantly, he understands that Ruff Ryders was never just about barking on records. It was about making people feel like every verse came from survival. That same energy exists all over “What It Be.”

The X Files

Play by Play Analysis

Beats — 10/10

The production for this song is solid. Sampling a classic DMX record is risky territory because comparisons are automatic, but KP and the producers handle it the right way. They don’t overcomplicate the beat trying to modernize it too much. The production keeps the soul and aggression of the original while still giving KP enough room to make the record his own. The drums hit hard, the pacing feels urgent, and the sample placement instantly grabs your attention without sounding lazy or recycled.

Lyrics — 10/10

KP flat out delivers here. The energy, tone, and delivery carry the record from start to finish. What makes the lyrics work is that the bars feel natural. Nothing sounds overly rehearsed or fake deep. The punchlines hit, the street talk feels authentic, and the aggression never loses focus. He raps with conviction and that’s something you can’t teach.

Concepts — 10/10

The concept here works because the hook supports the entire energy of the record. Even though the concept itself is not brand new by any means, KP executes it in a way that feels fresh. He captures the spirit of X without sounding like a clone. That balance is difficult to pull off. Instead of trying to recreate the past, he channels the feeling that made those Ruff Ryders records impactful in the first place.

Roll-Out — 5/10

The official music video is available on all streaming platforms, which is a solid start, but this record honestly feels bigger than its current rollout. This sounds like the type of song that deserves heavy New York media pushes, freestyle appearances, live performance clips, and strong social media moments attached to it. The record has the energy to go further with the right campaign behind it.

Replay Value — 10/10

This record just works. It has energy, quotable moments, and enough authenticity to keep bringing listeners back. Whether you’re in the gym, driving through the city, or just in the mood for aggressive New York rap, the record fits multiple environments naturally.

Vibe Check — 10/10

Real rap. Authentic hip-hop. No gimmicks. No forced trends. Just raw energy, pain, and presence over hard production. This feels like a record made by somebody who genuinely respects the culture.

Visual Appeal — 10/10

The visual completes the record perfectly. The bikes, the team energy, the gritty streets, and the raw cinematography all feel connected to the music. Nothing about the video feels fake or overly commercialized. It captures the same energy that made classic Ruff Ryders visuals iconic while still allowing KP to establish his own identity.

Total Music Score — 10/10

There’s something important happening with FakeFree KP that goes beyond one song. “What It Be” feels like the type of record that reminds people why East Coast hip-hop still matters when it’s done honestly. In an era where a lot of artists chase algorithms, KP sounds focused on legacy, identity, and emotion. That’s what made the Ruff Ryders movement resonate with people in the first place. It wasn’t perfect music polished in a corporate office. It was raw. It was emotional. It felt like survival music.

What impressed me the most is that KP understands the responsibility that comes with touching this type of production and representing that lineage. A lot of younger artists would have approached this record trying to recreate nostalgia. KP approached it like somebody trying to earn respect. There’s a difference. He doesn’t sound interested in cosplaying as a Ruff Ryder. He sounds like somebody trying to carry the spirit forward for a new generation that may have never experienced that era in real time.

And honestly, that’s why “What It Be” matters. Not because it samples DMX. Not because it references Ruff Ryders aesthetics. It matters because it feels authentic. FakeFree KP sounds like an artist who understands pain, loyalty, aggression, and hunger in a real way. If he continues developing records with this level of conviction and authenticity, there’s no reason he can’t become one of the faces leading that Ruff Ryders legacy into 2026 and beyond.