After 17 years away from the rap game, Mississippi artist Kencade is officially back with Back Like I Never Left, a self-produced album that blends Southern rap influences with stories drawn from his own life.
West Point, Mississippi rapper Kencade, born Ryan Daniels, is entering a new chapter with the release of Back Like I Never Left, a 10-track album released July 1 that marks his return to music after nearly two decades away.
Kencade’s story with music began long before this comeback. He started rapping at eight years old while growing up on Mose Street on the north side of West Point. His earliest recordings were made in his aunt Nelda’s bedroom using a basic tape setup, a radio and a cheap microphone. From there, he continued developing his sound in Jackson and Memphis before eventually relocating to Baltimore.
That background gives Back Like I Never Left more weight than a standard comeback release. Kencade has described music as an escape from difficult periods involving financial hardship, instability and incarceration. Those experiences shape the perspective behind the album, which moves through themes of struggle, ambition, betrayal, survival and Southern identity.
The project also reflects the music that first inspired him. Kencade cites Three 6 Mafia and Skinny Pimp among the Southern rap figures who helped motivate his decision to return after 17 years. Rather than abandoning those influences, he leans into them while bringing his own history into the record.
Across the album, tracks including “Judas,” “The Chosen One,” “Freedom Ain’t Free” and “I Need A Material Girl” stand out as key moments. “Judas” and “The Chosen One” tap into themes of trust, self-belief and resilience, while “Freedom Ain’t Free” carries a heavier message. “I Need A Material Girl” serves as the album’s radio single and, according to Kencade, has received airplay in New York, London, Mississippi and Los Angeles.
What makes the record especially personal is how much of the creative process Kencade handled himself. He says he made the beats, wrote the songs, produced the project and handled the mixing, giving Back Like I Never Left the feel of an independent statement rather than a comeback designed by committee.
His previous album, Me, Myself Da Show, reportedly surpassed 500,000 global streams and earned radio support and media coverage. Still, the stronger story here is not about past numbers. It is about whether Kencade can return after 17 years and make the music feel connected to the same hunger that started everything.
On that front, Back Like I Never Left succeeds most when it stays close to Kencade’s own experiences. The project is not trying to disguise the time that has passed. Instead, it turns those years into part of the story.
For Kencade, this is both a reintroduction and a reminder. Back Like I Never Left gives him space to revisit the Southern rap foundation that shaped him while presenting a version of himself informed by everything that happened during the years away.
Stream and follow Kencade:
Instagram | Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon Music
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