How are those Kids These Days?

How are those Kids These Days?

Tatiana Rodriguez, Arts & Trends Editor

October 30, 2012- that’s the day that the beloved Kids These Days (KTD) band released their first, and last, album Traphouse Rock. Though the band had dropped the Hard Times EP in 2011, it was really their debut that brought Chicago teens both together and then eventually, tore them apart. Sadly, Kids These Days decided to break up in May of 2013, leaving fans with a musical heartbreak that they’ll probably never get over.
But how are those kids these days? To commemorate the 3rd year anniversary of Traphouse Rock, The Beacon decided to do some digging and see how much has changed since the split.

Greg Landfair Jr.– Landfair Jr. has had major success with his drumming. He’s performed with major artists such as Frank Ocean at Coachella in 2012, Kid Cudi, The Roots, Snoop Dogg, and more.

J.P. Floyd– The trombone player writes and produces, often collaborating with many Chicago artists. His Soundcloud features some of his own work.

Lane Beckstrom, Liam Cunningham ‘11, Macie Stewart ‘11– Beckstrom currently produces his own music under the name “Lane.” His electronic-style EP Argot was released in January of 2015. His discography can be found on his Soundcloud. Beckstrom, along with former KTD members Macie Stewart and Liam Cunningham, have formed the band Marrow with Matt Carroll. The band usually performs at lowkey venues and more recently have wrapped up their Canadian tour. Their newest single and music video “The Gold Standard” can be found on the official Marrow twitter page @Marrowtweets.

Nico Segal ‘11– Under the alias Donnie Trumpet, the former KTD horn player has released 2 mixtapes, Illasoul: Shades of Blue and The Donnie Trumpet EP. Currently Segal is a part of the band The Social Experiment. The Social Experiment includes Peter Cottontale, Nate Fox, Greg Landfair Jr, Chance the Rapper, & Donnie Trumpet. The band’s debut mixtape Surf released in May of 2015. Though the album was a collaborative effort, the product was mainly under the direction of Segal and The Social Experiment. Artists such as Erykah Badu, Joey Purp, J. Cole, Thaddeus Tukes ‘12, Saba, D.R.A.M., Big Sean, Busta Rhymes, Janelle Monáe, and more. Over 50 artists joined Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment in recording Surf. The mixtape was met with an overwhelming amount of critical acclaim.

Victor Mensah ‘11– Performing under a shortened name, Vic Mensa embarked on his solo career post KTD split in 2013. His freshman mixtape INNANETAPE launched his career in September of 2013. So far, he has been able to work and collaborate with artists such as Kanye West, Sia, Skrillex, Chance the Rapper, Kaytranada, and more. He is signed to Roc-A-Fella Records and Roc nation. Mensa’s forthcoming album Traffic is expected to drop within the year.