Kid D

Robertson is associated with the rhythm & grime style due to the uses and influences of rhythm and blues songs in his music, including sampling singers such as Aaliyah and SWV in his beats. He has credited Timbaland and Dr. Dre as inspirations. TRENCH editor James Keith heard new wave influences in the single "Serious Choices". Felicity Martin has described Robertson in DJ Mag as being "known for his epic, crystalline melodies" and his 2018 album Authentic Expressions as consisting of "cinematic, trap-leaning beats". ==Career==

2005–2012: Early career and breakthrough Robertson has claimed that one of his earliest musical memories is playing a drum that his father brought back from a visit to Ghana at the age of five, prompting him to learn the instrument. Robertson produced the single "Gudthing" for novelty grime artist Mr. Wong, taken from his 2007 album I Bet It Will Stay In Ur Car 4 A Year, which was supported by Channel U and resulted in increased attention in his instrumentals. He was credited with producing the Maxsta song "Don't Wanna See" (featuring Voltage) from his May 2010 mixtape Maxtape and the Ghetts songs "Back from the Mountain" and "Job for You" (featuring Youngsta and Brutal) from his July 2010 mixtape The Calm Before the Storm, which did not enter the main UK albums chart but peaked at number 28 on the UK Independent Albums Chart, number 32 on the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart and number 93 on the UK Album Downloads Chart. 2012–2014: Credits on charting Wiley albums In 2012, Robertson released the This Is 2 Easy EP via Launchpad Records, for which Wiley was an A&R. The project included the Ghetts collaboration "Live for Today". which later appeared as a bonus track on his UK number 69 charting album Snakes & Ladders (2014). 2014–2020: Founding of 2 Easy Records, further collaborations, and Authentic Expressions In November 2014, Robertson appeared on DJ Cameo's BBC Radio 1Xtra show with a guest DJ mix of all original rhythm & grime productions. and the East Asian-inspired Shaolin Shoggle, which has been described as sinogrime. In November 2016, Robertson was credited as the producer of the Wiley single "U Were Always, Pt. 2", featuring Skepta and Belly, which peaked at number 38 on the UK Independent Singles Chart. The song served as the third single from his eleventh album Godfather (2017), Also in November 2016, he debuted on community radio station Pyro Radio with a takeover show and released the First Kid EP. He also produced Devlin's March 2019 single "Limelight", which appeared on his UK number 94 charting album The Outcast. In August of the same year, he released the six-track EP Calculated via 2 Easy Records, which featured Ghetts on the opening song "Calculated Intro". 2020–present: Transition into rapper-producer and debut vocal album Substance In February 2020, Robertson announced that he had been writing lyrics and had recorded a fully self-produced debut vocal EP titled Substance for release later in the year, marking the news with the release of his first vocal single, "Take Me Away (Substance Intro)". Substance was released in May 2021, at sixteen tracks in total, and featured further contributions from Ghetts, Devlin and Yung Saber among others. "My Fragrance" was later promoted as the album's fifth and final single, with a video shared via Link Up TV in July 2021. which was also released on vinyl. He has also signed other artists to 2 Easy Records, including Y.K and Max Rock. ==Legacy==

In 2014, Fact writer Tom Lea named Robertson's song "Beautiful" among the "25 greatest r'n'g tracks" of all time, and in 2015, DJ Mag described him as the rhythm and grime style's "main proprietor". Other artists have cited Robertson as a key influence on their sound, including Hyperdub signee Endgame, who has described him as "massively influential", and Big Dada and Mute Records signee Visionist, who described him as the "king of RnG" and "his sampling of vocals" as "a big influence on my own work". ==Selected discography==

Albums • Authentic Expressions (2018) • Substance (2021) Extended plays • First Realm (Sweet Beetz, 2006) • Second Realm (Widow Records, 2007) • Enter the Realm (self-released, 2008) • This Is 2 Easy (Launchpad Records, 2012) • R&G God (self-released, 2015) • Shaolin Shoggle (self-released, 2015) • #GrimeGutsAndGlory (with NoLay) (2016) • First Kid (2 Easy Records, 2016) • Calculated (2 Easy Records, 2019) • Spiritual Art (2 Easy Records, 2020) • Timing (AP Life, 2021) Singles • "Take Me Away (Substance Intro)" (2 Easy Records, 2020) • "Bring It On" (2 Easy Records, 2020) • "Different Class" (featuring 23 Remz) (2 Easy Records, 2020) • "Serious Choices" (featuring Novelist) (2 Easy Records, 2020) • "My Fragrance" (2 Easy Records, 2021) Production credits ==References==