DEE & KAMY

In a country where almost every rapper performs in Lithuanian, Dee & Kamy are a bit of an anomaly. Dee (DJ, producer, Valdas Kazakevičius to his parents) and Kamy (MC, real name Tautmilas Čeida) write and record in English. 'Of course, it alienates some Lithuanian listeners for whom it is a bit difficult to catch the flow of our lyrics. But we hope to be heard not only in Lithuania. It's just something in my blood – I've been listening to hip hop music performed in English since I was ten. It was my heart that told me to rap in English, not my brain,' Kamy explains. The duo released their debut album Original Taste in 2010, immediately winning recognition in the Lithuanian hip hop community. The band was lauded by ultra-hip Pravda magazine (they were named Best New Act at the publication's awards ceremony) and won Lithuania's alternative music award T.Ė.T.Ė in the category of Best Hip Hop Act. Shows in Lithuania and abroad followed. Dee & Kamy became the first Lithuanian rappers to perform at Tallinn Music Week, the biggest showcase festival in the Baltics. They have also shared a stage with some hip hop luminaries as Ja Rule, Xzibit, B-Real (of Cypress Hill fame), and Jungle Brothers. The duo's sophomore effort Filling The Gap was released in 2015, and featured collaborations with well-known local singers (like Erica Jennings from Skamp and Daiva Starinskaitė from Keymono) and international guests (like J-Ro from renowned L.A. hip hop act Tha Alkoholiks). Once again, the album showcased some crisp rhymes, infectious beats and the clear influence of early 90's American hip hop.