# DFTK > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/DFTK > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/DFTK.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DFTK > Source revision: 1353783284 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox album | name = DFTK | type = studio | cover = DFTK - Yung Kayo.jpg | alt = Image of a man in pink highlight. | border = yes | artist = [Yung Kayo](/source/Yung_Kayo) | released = {{start date|2022|02|04}} | recorded = 2022 | length = 35:10 | genre = * [Rage](/source/Rage_(music_genre)) * [trap](/source/Trap_music) | label = * [Young Stoner Life Records](/source/Young_Stoner_Life_Records) | producer = * [Aldn](/source/Aldn) *J Gramm *Paskkal the Landlord *Taurus *umru *Warpstr | prev_title = Working In Progress | prev_year = 2021 | next_title = Nineteen |next_year = 2022 | misc = {{Singles | name = DFTK | type = studio | single1 = It's a Monday | single1date = January 17, 2022 |single2 = Yeet (with [Yeat](/source/Yeat)) |single2date = January 28, 2022 }} }} '''''DFTK''''' (an [initialism](/source/initialism) for '''''Down For The Kount''''') is the debut [studio album](/source/studio_album) by American rapper [Yung Kayo](/source/Yung_Kayo). It was released through [Young Stoner Life Records](/source/Young_Stoner_Life_Records) and [300 Entertainment](/source/300_Entertainment) on February 4, 2022. It serves as the follow-up to his 2021 [EP](/source/EP) ''working in progress''. The album features guest appearances from [Eartheater](/source/Eartheater_(musician)), [Gunna](/source/Gunna_(musician)) and [Yeat](/source/Yeat), with [music production](/source/music_production) that was primarily handled by Warpstr, alongside [Aldn](/source/Aldn), J Gramm, Paskkal the Landlord, Taurus and umru. ''DTFK'' is a [rage rap](/source/rage_(music_genre)) style album which also blends bits of [hyperpop](/source/hyperpop) with [experimental pop](/source/experimental_pop), it’s characterized by its ungovernable energy, chaotic vocal experimentation, and emphasis on sound design and performance over traditional storytelling. The album generated positive reviews from media critics for its production, creativity, and experimentation. ==Background== The album was first announced in 2020.{{cite web |last=Kumar |first=Nimai |title=Yung Kayo Interview: ‘Yung’ YSL Star Is Writing His Own Story |url=https://ourgenerationmusic.com/exclusive/yung-kayo-interview-yung-ysl-star-is-writing-his-own-story/ |website=Our Generation Music |date=January 31, 2022 |access-date=April 4, 2026 }} Following its release, ''DFTK'' didn't have much promotion or teasing before its release; however, in an interview with ''[HotNewHipHop](/source/HotNewHipHop)'', Kayo stated, "Album is coming soon, [tape’s](/source/mixtape) on the way. I’m having this shit by the end of 2021, [videos](/source/music_videos), all of that shit. You dig? Slatt."{{cite web |title=Young Thug’s YSL Records: From Blood Relatives to Life-Long Friends and More |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/379266-young-thugs-ysl-records-from-blood-relatives-to-life-long-friends-and-more-news |website=[HotNewHipHop](/source/HotNewHipHop) |access-date=4 April 2026 }} Additionally, in the interview with ''Our Generation Music'', Kayo stated why he took so long to release the project, with the rapper saying: “I just like to make stuff right… I like to make shit come out how I want it to come out. Especially if it’s gonna be put out for people that have been waiting on something, I just want it to be the right way for them… It would be disrespectful to do it any other way.” ==Composition and lyricism== ===Overview=== ''DFTK'' is a [rage rap](/source/rage_rap) album,{{cite web |last=Pierre |first=Alphonse |title=Lunchbox: New Jazz Album Review |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/lunchbox-new-jazz/ |website=[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(magazine)) |date=June 8, 2023 |access-date=April 3, 2026 }} it is characterized by [AutoTune](/source/AutoTune), sound design, hazy, immersive soundscapes, raging and chaotic energy, as well as a "vibes first" construction.{{cite web |last=BrooklynVegan Staff |title=10 Best Rap Albums of February 2022 |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/10-best-rap-albums-of-february-2022/ |website=[BrooklynVegan](/source/BrooklynVegan) |access-date=4 April 2026}}{{cite web |last=Thompson |first=Paul A. |title=Yung Kayo: DFTK Album Review |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/yung-kayo-down-for-the-kount/ |website=[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(magazine)) |date=February 9, 2022 |access-date=April 4, 2026 }} Consisting of 15 tracks, the album has three features from [Yeat](/source/Yeat), who appears on "Yeet" (stylized in [all caps](/source/all_caps)),{{cite web |title=Yung Kayo Recruits Yeat For Heavy New Single "Yeet." |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/373323-yung-kayo-recruits-yeat-for-heavy-new-single-yeet-new-song |website=[HotNewHipHop](/source/HotNewHipHop) |access-date=April 4, 2026 }} [Gunna](/source/Gunna_(musician)), who's on "Everything's New (stylized in all [lowercase](/source/lowercase)), as well as [Eartheater](/source/Eartheater_(musician)), who's on "Hear You" (also stylized in all lowercase).{{cite web |last=Pearis |first=Bill |title=12 newer rappers to watch (2022 edition) |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/12-newer-rappers-to-watch-2022-edition/ |website=[BrooklynVegan](/source/BrooklynVegan) |access-date=4 April 2026}} ===Songs=== Paul A. Thompson of ''[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(magazine))'' wrote how "Believer" features emotional [couplets](/source/couplets). At the same time, "Crystal Clear" focuses on a more aggressive approach to finishing opponents, claiming how his shooters will "kill for the [blue bills](/source/100_dollar_bill)". He also highlights how the song has its funny moments, quoting the line: "“Your homeboy, he run out of Oxys/Me and my bitch, we keep doing the opposite.” Writing about how bizarre yet effective the track's structure is. “Over” is less about the song itself and more about how it functions within the album’s structure. "Hear You" sees Kayo go for a more [experimental pop](/source/experimental_pop) approach following the invite of Eartheater on the track. Nadine Smith of ''Pitchfork'' wrote how the track sees "Kayo leaves the material realm, ascending to a dimension of pure light and sound."{{cite web |title=The 100 Best Songs of 2022 |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-songs-2022/ |website=[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(magazine)) |publisher=[Condé Nast](/source/Cond%C3%A9_Nast) |access-date=4 April 2026}} Zach Weingarten of ''[Medium](/source/Medium_(website))'' wrote how the track is a "freaked-out electronic music" song.{{cite web |last=Weingarten |first=Zach |title=A Half‑Decade in Review: The 100 Best Music Releases from 2020‑2024 |url=https://zach-weingarten.medium.com/a-half-decade-in-review-the-100-best-music-releases-from-2020-2024-e44e2180d995 |website=[Medium](/source/Medium_(website)) |date=March 3, 2026 |access-date=April 4, 2026 }} Alex Zidel of ''[HotNewHipHop](/source/HotNewHipHop)'' wrote how ''Yeet'' is a heavy track which sees Yung Kayo explore a range of new sounds. Nimai Kumar of ''Our Generation Music'' wrote how "It's a Monday" sees Yung Kayo and Gunna approach a sample-heavy instrumental" with "a healthy combination of rapping and singing." He also wrote how the track is a motivational banger. ==Release and promotion== The album was released on February 4, 2022. Before its release, there was a listening party for the album, which was hosted in [Washington D.C.](/source/Washington_D.C.), which is Yung Kayo's hometown.{{cite web |last=Angel |first=H.D. |title=Yung Kayo Makes Worlds Collide |url=https://djbooth.net/features/2022-03-16-yung-kayo-interview-audiomack/ |website=DJBooth |date=March 16, 2022 |access-date=April 4, 2026 }} ==Critical reception== {{Music ratings | rev1 = ''[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(magazine))'' | rev1score = 8.2/10 }} Upon release, ''DFTK'' received critical acclaim. Paul A. Thompson of ''Pitchfork'' rated the album 8.2 out of 10, praising it for its high energy, experimentation, and emphasis on sound design. A staff member for ''[BrooklynVegan](/source/BrooklynVegan)'' praised ''DFTK'' writing how its "inventive melodies and production styles" make the album a good listen.. ''Pitchfork'' rated the track "Hear You" with Eartheater at #78 out of #100 on their best songs of 2022, with Nadine Smith writing how Eartheater's inhuman vocal range makes for a symbiotic duet with Kayo’s. Zach Weingarten was fairly positive about the album, writing how unique it was. He wrote how in that moment of [space and time](/source/space_and_time), Yung Kayo was "[light](/source/Light) itself". Raphael Helfand of ''[The Fader](/source/The_Fader)'' wrote how the project saw Kayo go into a completely different lane compared to his [300 Entertainment](/source/300_Entertainment) contemporaries.{{cite web |last=Renshaw |first=David |title=Song You Need: Yung Kayo’s “Fuzzed Out Flex” |url=https://www.thefader.com/2022/11/21/song-you-need-yung-kayos-fuzzed-out-flex |website=[The FADER](/source/The_FADER) |date=November 21, 2022 |access-date=April 5, 2026}} ==References== {{reflist}} Category:2022 debut albums Category:Alternative hip-hop albums by American artists Category:YSL Records albums Category:2022 albums --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [DFTK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DFTK) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DFTK?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.