The B-Side Khrew is doing it big in Cambodia. 2MDIE, REALLY JING, and AK-K linked up American producers Preston Robinson and Seann Patrick, and then Tommie King from Atlanta via the Philippines. Tommie did a show at B-Box, recorded the first single from the B-Side mixtape Family [្រួសារ)], and then shot the video for ‘Don’t Play With Us.’

LiFTED caught up with Tommie on the eve of the video’s release and he answered some questions we had for him.

If someone said describe Tommie King in two sentences, what would you say?

⁠⁠Tommie is a unique talent in Asia being originally from Atlanta but so ingratiated in South East Asian culture. Hip Hop is not entertainment to him; it’s his life.

How did you link up with the B-Side Khrew? Was this your first time in Cambodia? What did you think?

I scoured the internet looking for Hip Hop talent in SouthEast Asia and when I first saw B-Side on LiFTED, the way they looked at the camera screamed authenticity to me. I had to reach out, which led us to bring me to Cambodia to perform. While there for five days we made four songs, one of which became this video. I went back to shoot a month or so later and had just the same amount of fun as the first time.

How did the song ‘Don’t Play With Us’ come about?

This I believe came down to beat selection. The title of the song and subject matter fit seamlessly with the beat and that was the vibe that came out of the session. If you hang around B-Side in Cambodia you’ll get the same feeling I promise.

What message does the ‘Don’t Play With Us’ convey?

Beyond the surface level, the song itself I think marks an important time in Cambodian Hip Hop where the tide is turning from what it has been to what the world is now into. B-Side is something unique in the Cambodian scene because it’s unafraid to be edgy, wave flags, flash money, etc. It’s real and it’s raw and it will definitely ruffle some feathers, but that’s exactly what Hip Hop is.

How does it feel to be a part of the mixtape Family?

⁠I feel blessed. It’s been my dream to work with established acts in multiple SE Asian countries.

Each time MCs come for a show at B-Box, they jump in the studio with B-Side artists. The Family [្រួសារ)] mixtape that is the product of these studio sessions will be having a fundraiser in November to help get videos shot for all the tracks.

Keep an eye on LiFTED for more information very soon.

Check out B-Side Khrew & Tommie King’s ‘Don’t Play With Us’ below.